Smelt Talk

[Jacques]

Does any one else go nuts for the tiny friggers?

I just fried up my first panful this year. Oh jeez, what a delight! A meal fit for a king, and all for the tidy sum of $2.78. You guys must have these in New England, right? I think ours come off the coast of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. I might just get some tomorrow too.

[Eddie]

We buy them live and fish them as bait through a hole in the ice.

When they pass on, we fry them up in bacon fat and they are oh-my-God-so-good. I'll try to dig up some pics later.

Jaques - what's your take on canned fish? I went through a phase where I really had a problem - anchovies; sardines in tomato, mustard, olive oil; herring; smoked trout. Mostly from Trader Joes, sometimes from specialty stores, or imported by friends from Portugal.

[Steve-O]

A ritual as a kid. I grew up on Lake Huron. The smelt would come to mate in the small streams and rivers off the Great Lakes. When the run was on we would go down to the local creek with lanterns and dip nets to get as many as we could. I can remember filling up paint buckets with with the little fish. We'd take home as many as we could, cut off the heads, slit the bellies, and push the guts out with our thumbs. Once cleaned they would go into the freezer for a year of eating. Good stuff!

(Note - I haven't eaten smelt in probably 20 years)

[Too Tall]

When I was in college the local MN peeps would have smelt fry parties. Awesome goodness. A table of smelt and 3.2 beer = heaven.

[Dorman]

It's still really popular along the north shore of Superior. Every Friday night in the spring all you can eat smelt fry is easily found along hwy 61.

[RIHans]

Tiny fried fish...YUM.

I think I got into this because all my Swedish uncles would make homemade pickled herring, serve it up on crusty bread.

[Jacques]

We buy them live and fish them as bait through a hole in the ice.

When they pass on, we fry them up in bacon fat and they are oh-my-God-so-good. I'll try to dig up some pics later.

Jaques - what's your take on canned fish? I went through a phase where I really had a problem - anchovies; sardines in tomato, mustard, olive oil; herring; smoked trout. Mostly from Trader Joes, sometimes from specialty stores, or imported by friends from Portugal.

I'm just getting over chronic sardine overdosing. I'd usually just get the unflavored cheap brand (Brunswick) and eat them on french bread with dijon and arugula which suited my broke ass just fine. Sometimes I'll seek out a fancy can and try something new. Maybe I'll go to the Italian market later and get myself a treat.

Fish fiends are much advised to check out the excellent Society for the Appreciation of the Lowly Tinned Sardine

Is there greater pleasure in life than eating small fish? I have not found it.

[lavi]

Growing up in Wisconsin, eating smelt at Grandma's house was just ritual. I used to get yelled at because I'd come along while they were cooling and eat off all the crunchy tails. Delicious.

I also faced serious ridicule as a child for bringing sardines in a can to school for lunch. I could clear tables out all around me when I opened the can and spread those little suckers out on my Wonder bread. Mustard and tomato sauce please.

[soupless]

this thread needs pics

[Eddie]

I can't find any pics of pan fried smelt right now, so here's some perch for ya.

[Jacques]

Saw this one on the aforementioned Sardine Society. Clearly, someone who knows what is best in life.

[soupless]

looks delicious!