3/4 cup sifted all purpose flour 3/4 cup half and half 2 eggs, well beaten 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp, olive oil 1/2 tsp, salt dash of pepper Prepare Batter Place flour into medium size bowl. Add rest of ingredients and mix well with whisk. Prepare Smelts Step One: Defrost frozen, cleaned smelts and rinse in cool water. Pat dry. Step Two: 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. Step Three: 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. |