Light and Crispy Fried Smelt

Crispy fried smelt, lightly dredged, and pan fried in olive oil (or air fried), served with a lemon and caper aioli.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Cripsy Smelt, Feast of Seven Fishes, Fried Fish, Fried smelt, Pan Fried Smelt, Smelt

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Cleaning Prep 15

Total Time 25

Servings people

Calories 380kcal

Before you combine all the ingredients, chop 1 tbsp of the capers finely, leaving the other tbsp whole.
In a bowl combine the mayo, capers, zest of a whole lemon, 1/2 lemons worth of lemon juice, dijon mustard, and finely grated garlic. Mix and let the sauce sit in the fridge for a minimum of 10 minutes before eating.

Place a pan on the stove over medium heat with approximately 1/4 inch of olive oil. Preheat to 350℉.
Dry the cleaned smelt thoroughly with a paper towel, and salt with a heavy pinch of salt. *For cleaning instructions please read the body of the post.
Working a few at a time lightly dredge the fish in flour shaking off the excess.
Once the oil is hot, place the fish in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it. Depending on the size of the pan, you may need to cook the fish in batches. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until lightly golden in color.
Remove from the oil and lightly salt. When you are ready to serve spritz with fresh lemon and serve with the lemon caper aioli.

Preheat the air fryer to 390℉ degrees (approx. 3 minutes).
Dry the cleaned smelt thoroughly with a paper towel, and salt with a heavy pinch of salt. *For cleaning instructions please read the body of the post.
Working a few at a time lightly dredge the fish in flour shaking off the excess.
Place the fish in a single layer in the air fryer basket, still making sure you do not overcrowd the basket. Spray generously with the spray oil and cook for 4 minutes before flipping the smelt. Cook until lightly golden in color (approx. 7-9 minutes).
When you are ready to serve spritz with fresh lemon and serve with the lemon caper aioli.