Name: Norwegian Pan-Fried Smelt Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound small smelt fish; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons cornmeal (or matzo meal); 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; Olive oil for frying; 2 tablespoon olive oil; Juice of 1 lemon; 1 clove garlic (minced); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Cooked in 5 minutes, this Norwegian recipe for pan-fried smelt makes for a quick and easy meal, snack, or a crispy appetizer. These small fish are flaky, soft, and perfect finger-food with seasonal salad and beer.

You should always select fresh fish as frozen tends to retain too much water, but smelt is fine either way.

Pan-Freid Smelt

To fry the fish, use a heavy non-stick pan or cast-iron skillet. It makes cooking and especially frying so much easier and will make this recipe easy for you too.

You'll definitely need to pick one up because it's inexpensive and makes the perfect cookware. I hesitated too long before buying a cast iron skillet, but now I have many pans and pots and couldn't imagine my kitchen without it.

Norwegian favorite fish

In Norway, these little silver-colored fish are often the target of small 'fishing shack' villages that spring up along frozen rivers or in "schools" along the saltwater coastline during spring migration to their spawning streams.

Historically, fishermen would go to customary locations over the ice using horses and sleighs. Smelt taken out of the cold saltwater were preferred to those in warm water.

Ingredients:

This recipe is not only affordable but also delicious and rich in Omega3. You will need:

Smelt fish - see instructions below on buying smelt
All-purpose flour - gluten-free flour will also work
Cornmeal - I use coarse yellow cornmeal for making polenta
Salt and pepper - to taste
Oil for frying - I used olive oil, but any high-heat oils (such as sunflower, canola, vegetable, avocado, and peanut oil) will work

For the Norwegian sauce:

Olive oil - do not substitute
Lemon juice - freshly squeezed
Garlic - fresh garlic clove
Fresh parsley - do not substitute

How to fry smelt in a skillet?

*Keep scrolling to get the full (printable) recipe, ingredient amounts, and more tips, or click on the "Skip to Recipe" button at the top of the page.

Fry the fish:

In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper.
Coat the small fish on both sides with the flour mixture. Fry both sides of the fish for 2-3 minutes each.
Let the fried smelt drain its excess oil on a wire rack. Serve hot drizzled with dressing.

Make the dressing:

In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. Set aside.

Buying Smelt

Frozen smelt are widely available in supermarkets. You can find them already cleaned with heads removed.

When you're buying smelt, look for the smallest in size. They should be not much longer than your finger because bigger tend to have bones that are a little harder. The smaller, the better, as you'll be eating these fish whole - tail, bone, and all.

Do I have to clean smelt?

To clean the smelt or not, is something everyone decides for themselves. The fish are small, and just like sardines, you should eat them whole.

No need to debone small smelt. Fish bigger than 6 inches should be cleaned because they can be a bit bitter. Either way, if eating heads, guts, and tails is disturbing, here's how to clean it:

Gently pry open the head of the fish and slowly pull the gills along with the entrails.
Rinse smelt under cold running water and drain well.

What to serve with pan-fried smelt:

Smelt fry is good on its own and amazing with Norwegian aromatic dressing of oil, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley, but it also pairs well with:

Garlic Swiss chard and potatoes
French Fries or sweet potato fries
Fresh salad greens or creamy cucumber salad
Roasted vegetables and rice
Chips and beer
Dipping sauces: tartar, mustard, aioli, cocktail, or hot sauce

Norwegian-style pan-fried smelt #fish is the perfect finger-food, snack, and a #quick meal cooked in 5 minutes. #recipe #seafood #appetizer #panfriedClick to Tweet

How to get rid of the fish smell after cooking:

HELP! MY HOUSE SMELLS LIKE FISH FOR DAYS!

Frying any fish in a pan (smelt included) will leave an odor that is hard to eliminate. To prevent, or at least minimize it, try these tips:

Soak the fish in milk for at least half an hour before cooking it. It cuts down on odor when the fish is cooked without changing the flavor of the fish.
Soak your fish in water mixed with 1/4 cup of vinegar or 1/4 cup of lemon juice before cooking.
Try to prevent the odor by using a splatter screen, a vent fan, or an air purifier. Run the exhaust fan for an hour after cooking fish. If you can remove the exhaust filter, wash it.
Take a few whole cloves (the prickly thing you stick in a ham) and simmer it in a little water. Cinnamon, citrus peel, and rosemary work as well too.
Stick a fan in the kitchen window while cooking fish and leave it on for a while afterward. Or keep the windows open while you cook if it's a nice day out.
As soon as your meal is over, tightly wrap and refrigerate leftovers, wash the dishes and take out the trash. Getting the source of the odor cleaned up and out of your home as quickly as possible will reduce the smell in your home.
Light a candle. Lemon and peppermint scents work exceptionally well to combat food smells in your home. Light your candle before you start cooking, and let it burn well beyond your meal and kitchen clean-up time.

Other delicious fish recipes to try: