Crispy-Fried Smelt Fish

Although deep-fried smelt is a favorite in my house, I balk at cooking it frequently primarily because of the amount of cleaning involved. Two to three pounds mean around 50 to 100 small fish I have to remove gills from, and two or three pounds sometimes is not even enough for the huge appetite we have for this dish. But the nicely-sized ones (they were significantly larger than usual) I saw at the asian supermarket today awakened a hankering for some crispy smelt fish, with a pairing of fresh tomato salad.

Makes 4 Servings

2 lbs smelt
1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
vegetable oil for deep frying

Remove insides of smelt by drawing from the gills.
Wash and pat dry with a paper towel or drain well in a coriander.
Meanwhile, heat enough oil for deep frying in a thick-bottomed pan. Oil needs to be very hot.
In a bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Toss smelt in flour mixture a batch at a time.
Carefully drop in hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Remove and drain excess oil on a paper towel.
Serve with fresh tomato salad.

Fresh Tomato Salad

1 cup roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsps cilantro, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp bagoong (shrimp paste) or patis (fish sauce)

Combine all ingredients and chill for around 10 minutes.

TIPS:
1) Coat fish only when ready to fry
2) For crispier result, fry in small batches to prevent crowding pan and to maintain temperature of oil.
3) Fish can be prepared without cleaning insides especially if the fish are very small. I prefer to take the extra step, however inconvenient and time consuming.
4) Tilapia fillets with black bean sauce is another fish recipe you ought to try!