Smelt is a fish with a specific taste, juicy meat and soft bones. Who will refuse such a fried fish with a crispy crust? At the same time, smelt can also be baked, pickled or smoked.

Smelt - what kind of fish is it?

Smelt is a small ray-shaped fish of the family Koryushkov. Such a fish is called cucumber, as its smell cannot be distinguished from the aroma of a green vegetable. Everyone knows smelt in our country, and in St. Petersburg they even hold a holiday dedicated to this little fish.

What kind of fish is smelt? In appearance, it is somewhat reminiscent of dace, it has small translucent scales, but a large mouth with small sharp teeth. Even with a small length (from 10 to 14 cm) and low weight (up to 350 grams), this waterfowl is a real predator that preys on small fish, eats caviar and crustaceans. Smelt is not picky in food, so it can be successfully bred on an industrial scale.

It is rather difficult to answer the question where smelt is found, since it is widespread throughout the country. But she feels especially carefree in the reservoirs located in the central part of Russia.

What is beneficial for the human body

Smelt is a useful product for the health of any person. It has a lot of protein and minerals necessary for the formation and strength of bones. Also, nickel and potassium are present in it, as well as other useful elements that contribute to the normal activity of the whole organism. The meat of this fish contains B vitamins necessary for normal metabolism and the functioning of the nervous system, plus vitamin A, which is important for the health of the visual organs and collagen production.

In cooking, smelt cook a wide variety of fish dishes.It can be smoked, cooked dried, dried. But given its fat content, it tastes best baked and fried. Jellied of smelt and first courses come out equally tasty.

How to deliciously fry in a pan

Many housewives fell in love with smelt because there are practically no problems with such fish in terms of cleaning and gutting. Her scales are small, nothing needs to be cut off, since such fish must be eaten whole together with bones and head.

The only thing required is to remove the entrails so that the fried smelt fish does not bitter.

Cooking method:

  1. We wash the smelt and put it in a colander so that all the water from the glass comes from it.
  2. Next, put the fish in a tight bag, add salt, pepper, a little paprika, thyme leaves and flour.
  3. Tie the package and shake. This method will allow the entire breading during the roasting process to remain on the fish.
  4. In hot oil, fry the carcasses to a golden appetizing crust.

Oven baking recipe

Smelt meat contains a large amount of healthy fats, and to preserve all the benefits of fish, and to increase the taste and aroma, it should be baked in the oven. If you do not know how to cook smelt fish in the oven, we offer a simple recipe.

Ingredients:

  • ½ kg of smelt;
  • lemon - half;
  • bay leaves;
  • allspice peas;
  • dried parsley;
  • salt, oil.

Cooking method:

  1. In a bowl, add smelt, salt, sprinkle with dried parsley and pour citrus juice.
  2. Distribute several bay leaves on the foil and pour them with lemon juice. Put the smelt, wrap and bake for 25 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees.
  3. 10 minutes before readiness, the foil can be slightly opened so that the fish is covered with a delicious crust.

Smelt fish soup

Many fish soup is called fish soup, however, it is not at all. A real ear is a rich broth of fresh fish, a minimum of vegetables and one very important ingredient, without which the ear is not the ear. But what is this secret, you will learn in the following recipe.

Ingredients:

  • smelt - 12 pcs.;
  • bulb;
  • carrot;
  • two potato tubers;
  • parsley and celery root;
  • leek;
  • salt pepper.
  • greenery.

Two important ingredients are used in making real fish soup - vodka with herbs and a burning birch torch.

Cooking method:

  1. Grind fresh dill, spring onion and parsley. Stir the greens in a bowl and fill it with 40 ml of vodka. We insist the composition during the entire process of cooking soup.
  2. Next, we prepare the vegetables: we cut the potatoes into cubes, carrots into slices, and just chop the onions finely.
  3. We spread all the vegetables and roots into the pan, put it on the stove and as soon as the water boils, we drop the bay leaf. We immediately send salt, black pepper and a little nutmeg for him. Cook until soft vegetables.
  4. Now put the prepared smelt without scales and entrails. Heads can be left. Cook soup for five minutes, no more.
  5. Now pour vodka with herbs, set fire to a splinter and simmer in the ear. We cover the finished dish and let it brew well.

Pickled fish

Smelt is a very tasty fish. And especially fried. But if an individual is larger, then it can be pickled.

Ingredients:

  • a kilo of fresh smelt;
  • mustard seeds;
  • a spoonful of sugar;
  • allspice, cloves;
  • Bay leaf;
  • salt, oil;
  • dill.

How to cook smelt fish in a marinade:

  1. Pour a liter of water into the pan, pour sugar, salt and all spices, with the exception of dill. We put the container on fire, cook its contents for 10 minutes and add chopped dill at the very end of the process.
  2. Cool the brine and mix with two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
  3. Gutted smelt carcasses are put in any dish, pour them with brine and put in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Stuffed Smelt

If you come across large smelt carcasses, then do not rush to fry them in an ordinary pan, but use our recipe.

The deep-fried stuffed smelt is very aromatic and tasty.

Ingredients:

  • large smelt - 12 pcs.;
  • five glasses of crushed crackers;
  • three tablespoons of flour;
  • three lemons;
  • 70 ml of tomato paste;
  • parsley greens;
  • three eggs;
  • mushrooms.

Cooking method:

  1. The first step is to clean the smelt, make a neat incision in the middle of the back and pull out the spinal bone.
  2. Then salt the carcasses, sprinkle with lemon juice and send to a cool place.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the tomato sauce with chopped herbs, a spoonful of sunflower oil and chopped champignons. Also remove this composition in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  4. After this time, with the prepared filling, we stuff the fish and sew it up with threads. First, dip the carcasses into beaten eggs, then roll in breadcrumbs and lower in deep fat for 15 minutes.
  5. Put the finished smelt on a napkin, and as soon as the excess fat leaves the fish, remove the threads from it and put it on a beautiful dish. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon slices.

Dried fish at home

Perhaps every fisherman knows how to dry the fish. But how to dry it properly is a question. Moreover, there are several good methods for making dried smelt.

The first way to cook. In brine:

  1. Pour water into the container and throw the peeled potato tuber. Pour salt (300 g per kilo of fish) and stir until potatoes are on the surface.
  2. For piquancy in brine, you can use soy sauce (for 1 liter of water, approximately 25 ml of seasoning).
  3. Immerse the fish in the marinade, put oppression on top (weight from 3 to 5 kg).
  4. Salting time will depend on the size of the fish. As a rule, it takes from 6 to 8 hours, and 30 minutes before the end of the process you need to add a spoonful of vinegar to the fish.
  5. We take out the carcasses and washed twice. Once in ordinary water, and the second in water with added sugar. String the smelt on a strong thread and hang it.

The second way of cooking. Dry salting:

  1. We put smelt in layers in the container, with each sprinkling with coarse salt (a spoonful per kilo of fish).
  2. Cover the workpiece and leave for a day.
  3. Then we wash the fish, string them and hang them in the same way.

The third way to cook. Quick salting:

  1. We put the fish in a container and sprinkle with salt so that it produces a salty “coat”. Leave the blank for 8 hours.
  2. Then we lay it out on paper, on which the juice will drain along with excess salt, and leave it for another five hours.
  3. We do not wash the fish, but immediately we hang it by the head. If you believe the fishermen, this method will help smelt not to lose its fat.

Residents of St. Petersburg adore smoked smelt, but the northerners prepare it from a pock. To do this, they put the fish in a pan, sprinkle with onion rings, add salt, oil, water and stew for five minutes.

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