Pan-Fried Smelts

Ingredients

• 2 lb whole smelts, cleaned
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Before you cook

• Snip the heads off the smelts and pull out the innards with the head, or leave them whole if your fish are very small.
• Rinse the smelts and pat them thoroughly dry.
• Pour the milk into a bowl and whisk the cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne together in a shallow dish.
• Chop the parsley and set a wire rack over a sheet pan.

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
2. Dip a handful of smelts in the milk, then roll them in the cornmeal mixture until well coated.
3. Lay the coated smelts in the hot oil in a single uncrowded layer.
4. Fry for 3 minutes, until the undersides are deep golden and crisp.
5. Turn the smelts with tongs and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more.
6. Lift them onto the wire rack and salt them at once.
7. Repeat with the remaining smelts in two more batches, adding oil if the pan runs dry.
8. Pour off the oil and melt the butter in the hot skillet until it foams and smells nutty.
9. Pour the brown butter over the fried smelts and scatter the parsley on top.
10. Serve hot with plenty of lemon wedges.