Prepare Batter
Place flour into medium size bowl. Add
rest of ingredients and mix well with whisk.
Prepare Smelts
Defrost frozen, cleaned smelts and
rinse in cool water. Pat dry.
Using a large, heavy bottomed skillet
pour in vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Heat
oil to 350 - 375 degrees. Place six smelts in batter and
move around until well coated. Pick each one up by tail end
and shake off excess batter. Place in hot oil. Arrange
smelts in skillet in such a manner that they do not touch
each other. Fry to golden brown turning once, approximately
4 to 5 minutes per batch.
Remove cooked smelts from skillet and
place on brown paper bag to remove excess oil. Salt
generously and arrange on platter with lots of lemon wedges.
Some additional tips on the frying of
smelts. Use a good grade of vegetable oil or perhaps peanut
oil. The fat that you choose must be able to stand up to the
heat without breaking down. Make sure the frying temperature
is proper before starting the first batch. If the oil is too
cool the smelts will be oily, if too hot they will brown
prematurely and not cook through. Use the tip of a candy
thermometer to check oil temperature. After doing several
batches you will be able to adjust the heat up and down on
your own. Brown paper bags do a much better job of draining
excess oil than paper towels.
