Fried Smelt with Green Sauce
Crispy fried smelt with zesty green sauce—light, flavorful, and easy to make. Perfect for a tasty snack or meal. Try this recipe today!
Fried Smelt with Green Sauce
By Walleye Direct
Prep time:
30 minutes
Cook time:
15 minutes
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- 1 pound smelt, gutted
- ½ cup Louisiana Fish Fry Breading Mix
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
- Frying oil
- 1 cup packed cilantro, leaves and stems
- ½ cup packed parsley leaves
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
- 1 tbs. lime juice
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt, plus extra
- Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove seeds from jalapeno and roughly chop. In a blender or food processor, combine all green sauce ingredients and pulse until completely smooth; adjust amount of jalapeno to your liking. A high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, will give you a more uniform, smooth green sauce. Whereas a food processor will give you a coarser sauce, as pictured. Season to taste.
- In a wide, shallow bowl, combine Louisiana Fish Fry Breading Mix, flour and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir 1 tablespoon of water into the breading to create little “bits.” Place gutted smelt in a bowl and cover with cold water. Heat oil to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, remove smelt from water and coat in the breading, pressing the dry bits onto the fish. (Smelt has to be wet for the breading to stick.)
- When oil comes to temperature, fry coated smelt in batches until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels or cooling rack. Allow the oil to return to temperature each time you add a new batch of fish. Serve immediately with green sauce.
