Smelt - outwardly inconspicuous small fish, has two remarkable features: an unusual smell, reminiscent of the freshly cut cucumber flavor, and a wonderful taste. Smelt meat contains very useful substances for humans: microelements (magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, fluorine) and vitamin PP. Doctors recommend using fish for the purpose of preventing osteoporosis directly with bones, which, when properly fried, become rather soft and well absorbed by the body. Despite the fact that smelt is fatty fish, it is recommended for use in children's and dietary nutrition, as it is rich in polyunsaturated acids, which are consumed by energy and are involved in the creation of new cells in the body.
How do I clean the smelt?
Culinary experts, who first had to cook a fish, are asked whether it is necessary to clean the smelt? Smelt can not be cleaned before cooking. Just wash in running water, which will get rid of small scales almost completely. Supporters of this method of fish processing believe that if the smelt during the spawning season does not feed (and its catching occurs precisely during this process), then inside it, too, is clean. Many people know how important it is to clean river fish, for example, perch , because this fish is often infected with osteopyrhosis.
If you answered yes, do you clean the smelt? - then you will find useful our recommendations on how to properly clean the smelt.
The first way (while the fish remains with the head) - holding the fish by the tail under the stream of water, draw a sharp knife from the tail to the head. Next, make an incision on the abdomen. Take the internals out of the fish carefully and rinse with water. By the way, instead of a knife, quite, you can use a small grater, its application will speed up the cleaning process.
The second way (the entrails are removed together with the head) - having cleared the smelt from the scales, using kitchen scissors, make a deep incision on the ridge, breaking the spine bone. Tear off the head and with it pull all the internal organs of the fish. If caviar or milk is found in the smelt, they are washed - then fry together with the fish. Rinse the fish, and you can proceed directly to cooking.
Fried smelt
Ingredients:
- Smelt - 1 kg;
- flour - 4 tbsp. spoons;
- a little salt;
- vegetable oil for frying (better than usual - unrefined and with pronounced sunflower smell).
Preparation
Despite the fact that the size of the fish is small, the meat is fat, so there are a lot of cooking methods. Most often the smelt is fried. To do this, clean the smelt on a paper or cotton towel so that it absorbs excess moisture, and the fish does not fall apart during cooking. Roll each fry in breading: wheat flour mixed with salt. Spread sunflower oil in a frying pan, gently lay the smelt one by one and fry until a crispy crust is formed on both sides.
Pickled smelt
Ingredients:
- smelt - 2 kg;
- water - 1 glass;
- vinegar 6% - 50 ml;
- salt - 0,5 tsp.
- sugar - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
- pepper - a few peas;
- coriander - a pinch.
Preparation
Very tasty marinated smelt! Prepare a special breading: breadcrumbs mix with salt and pepper. Fish roll in breadcrumbs, fry. Fried fish put in a bowl (clay or enameled), shifting onions, cut into half rings, sprinkle with scented pepper, coriander. If you like the clove taste, add a couple of kidneys cloves.
Now it's marinade. Boil water, adding to taste diluted vinegar, salt and sugar. Pour the marinade over the fish so that it covers the smelt with the top. Cover the dishes with a lid. After a few hours, the pickled smelt is ready. This is a great appetizer for beer!