Fried smelt with chilies

Last Updated on June 15, 2021 by Simon Fan

Smelt are used in many cuisines because of their wide availability around the world. When you get smelt that are under 6 inches, they’re best cooked and eaten whole, including their soft bones. Frying in hot oil turns them into aquatic “French fries”—their skin, head, and tail become wonderfully crunchy while the sweet flesh stays tender and moist.

Seasoning fried smelt simply with salt and pepper would be good enough to enjoy these delicate fish. However, you will find it more fun, and rewarding, to enliven your dish with a spice mix that gives it a unique character or sense of place. My smelt dish here takes you to Sichuan Province in China.

The recipe is inspired by the famous Sichuanese dish chicken with chilies or laziji (辣子鸡) in Mandarin. The chicken, with bone-in and skin-on, is cut into bite-size pieces, deep-fried, and then seasoned with a copious amount of dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, together with ginger, garlic, and scallion. The aroma from the spices will make you immediately fall in love with the dish, even before you take your first bite.  

Here, I give the smelt the same treatment, though with a reduced amount of spices so they don’t overpower the fish. The dish looks spicier than it actually is, as the chilies and Sichuan peppercorns here contribute more to the aroma than to the taste.

You can ask your fishmonger to clean the fish for you or do it easily at home without the need for scaling or cutting. Simply pull out the gills that are connected to the entrails, and discard both. Do keep the roe!

Fried smelt with chilies

Serves 2

Ingredients

14 oz (400 g) smelt
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil with a high smoke point, for frying

Sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ cup (20 g) dried chilies, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and seeds removed
1 tablespoon (5 g) Sichuan peppercorns
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Marinate the smelt with the wine and salt for 5 minutes. Pat the fish dry and coat them with the starch.
2. Heat the oil in a wok (making sure it’s stable) or skillet over high heat to 375°F (190°C). Fry half of the smelt until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining fish. Discard the oil, and wipe the wok clean.
3. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce. Heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in the wok over medium heat. Add the chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, scallions, and garlic, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Return the smelt to the wok, and add the sauce. Toss to coat the fish with the sauce, about 30 seconds. Serve right away.