Smelt is a small oblong fish that lives in the Neva and the Gulf of Finland, from where it is mined in huge quantities. You can buy it in frozen, chilled, dried and dried form. Moreover, the last two varieties are found most often, since smelt is in great demand among beer lovers.
A few words about the delicacy
Many housewives believe that this little fish requires a lot of fuss and is not anything special, but in reality this opinion is erroneous. Those who know how to properly process this delicacy often prefer it. After all, smelt has tender and fatty meat, which can be prepared in many ways. But at the same time, it is not so high in calories to affect the figure. In addition, this fish has an unusual and extremely pleasant taste. And if you also recall the many useful trace elements in its composition, it will become clear that this delicacy is definitely worth the money.
There are many recipes for cooking this fish in a pan and in a slow cooker. But the smelt baked in the oven, which contains many useful substances, is the fastest and easiest way to preserve its qualities, wonderful aroma and incredible taste. Try any of the proposed recipes to make sure the appetite of such a treat and the ease of its preparation.
Product Preparation
Smelt baked in the oven in its own juice with spices and lemon juice is the easiest way to cook it. Believe me, you should definitely not underestimate such an unpretentious recipe, because the fish turns out to be insanely delicate and soft, and its flesh is impregnated with aromas of herbs and marinade.
To prepare you will need:
- 0.6 kg of smelt;
- half a lemon;
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- 0.5 teaspoon of salt;
- allspice, a few bay leaves;
- any greens - rosemary, dill, basil or parsley.
Oven baked smelt recipe with photo
If you have frozen fish in your stock, you must first defrost it. This must be done in a natural way. Then the carcasses need to be cut: cut off the head, remove the entrails, clean from the scales and rinse.
Then do this:
- Put the prepared fish in a deep bowl.
- Squeeze lemon juice on them.
- Send pepper, salt and vegetable oil here.
- Mix the fish thoroughly with your hands so that each smelt is covered with sauce.
- Now it remains to learn how to bake smelt in the oven in foil. To do this, cover the pan with a large sheet of foil. Transfer the carcasses to it in random order or in rows. Only one thing is important - the layer of fish must be uniform so that it quickly baked.
- On top of smelt, put bay leaves and greens, cut or twigs.
- Cover the baking sheet with another sheet of foil, pinch the edges tightly.
The final stage
Send the delicacy to the oven, heated to 200 degrees, for 20-25 minutes. After the set time, remove the top sheet of foil and return the fish back for another 5-10 minutes. This is necessary so that the carcasses are browned and covered with a delicious crust.
That's all - the baked smelt in the oven is ready. It is very important to carefully remove the carcasses from the pan so that the tender meat is not damaged, and the fish itself remains whole and appetizing.
Serve the delicacy preferably on a large plate, complementing the composition with sprigs of herbs and fresh vegetables. And as a side dish, potatoes are perfect.
Second way
Roasting in foil is far from the only option for cooking baked smelt in the oven. An original and very unusual recipe is considered a fish in cheese batter. Such a treat is worthy of not only a simple family dinner, but also a festive table.
If you want to bake smelt in the oven with a crust, this recipe is what you need. Perhaps there is nothing more appetizing and tastier than a tender fish in cheese batter. In addition, such a dish is prepared much easier and faster than it might seem at first.
In the process you will need:
- 0.6 kg of smelt;
- 100 g of hard cheese;
- a glass of breadcrumbs;
- 2 eggs;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- 0.5 teaspoon of salt;
- pepper to taste;
- greens to choose from - rosemary, dill, basil or parsley.
The process will take about an hour.
How to bake smelt in the oven without foil
- Defrost a frozen fish first. Then clean it of scales and viscera, cut off the head and wash it thoroughly under running water.
- Now the carcasses need to be profiled: without dividing into pieces, cut along the belly deeper offal and pull out the skeleton along with the ribs. Rinse the resulting fillet and dry with a napkin.
- It's time to take up the batter. Combine the eggs, garlic, finely chopped herbs, pepper and salt. Stir all components until a homogeneous consistency and light foam.
- In another bowl, mix finely grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Thoroughly stir the food.
- Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Smelt fillet will need to be placed on it.
- Dip each carcass on both sides in the egg mixture, then transfer to the breadcrumbs. Roll on both sides and immediately send to the prepared pan. Do the same with every fish.
- When all the carcasses have been laid, grease the top of them with vegetable oil using a brush. Such a trick will allow you not to dry the smelt and achieve an appetizing golden hue.
- Send the workpiece to the oven, preheated to 180 degrees, for half an hour. During this time, the smelt should be browned and become crispy.
Fish prepared in this way will pleasantly surprise you with a divine aroma, delicious golden crust and tender fillet.
Smelt in cheese batter may well take the place of the main dish, hot or cold appetizer - in any form, this treat will certainly appeal to households.
Delicacy in tomato sauce
Any fish is in perfect harmony with vegetables, which can be used both as a side dish, and as a decoration, and as a component of a dish. The recipe of smelt baked in the oven with tomato sauce will allow you to cook an amazingly delicious treat with an unusual aroma in just an hour. Such a dish certainly will not leave anyone indifferent.
To prepare the smelt baked in the oven with vegetables, you will need:
- 0.6 kg of fish;
- 2 tablespoons of flour;
- half as much tomato paste;
- 2 onion heads;
- as many carrots;
- 2 tomatoes;
- some vegetable oil;
- a few bay leaves;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Course of action
- Rinse thawed fish, clean from scales, gut and cut off the heads. At the end of the preparation, blot each carcass with napkins to rid them of excess moisture.
- Dip the prepared smelt in flour and fry on both sides in a pan until a golden hue is obtained. Do not forget to pour a little vegetable oil on the surface. Place the fried carcasses on a baking sheet.
- Now start cooking the vegetable fill. Clean and wash all prepared vegetables. Chop the onions in half rings, grate the carrots on a coarse grater, cut the tomato into thin rings. Fry the vegetables until golden brown, then add a glass of water, tomato paste and any spices to your taste. Stir everything thoroughly and bring to a boil.
- Pour the cooked gravy on the baked fish. Lay bay leaves on top.
- Put the baking sheet with smelt in the oven, heated to 180 degrees, for 20 minutes.
Such a fish turns out to be incredibly tender, excellently soaked in seasonings and vegetable juices. Put smelt on a plate should be very carefully, using a spatula, so that the carcasses do not fall apart.
Such an unusual treat will certainly appeal even to those who do not particularly like fish. Such an appetizing appetizer with a pleasant aroma will surely bring together the whole family.
Last few tips
You can cook smelt in different ways: boil, fry, salt. But it is in baked form that this fish acquires the greatest appetite, benefit and unsurpassed taste. In addition, the process of cooking smelt in the oven will certainly not cause any difficulties or problems - any housewife will cope with it. But still, to learn about some of the features of this fish will not hurt:
- There is a scaly on the smelt. It is cleaned quite easily, but this does not mean at all that its elimination can be neglected. After all, even a small scale can spoil the whole impression of even the most delicious treats. So that in the process it does not fly apart, it is advisable to clean the carcasses in water with a special grater. Then it should be washed thoroughly and only after that proceed to gutting.
- Many domestic housewives are accustomed to cooking small fish as a whole, without getting rid of the entrails. But in the case of smelt, it is really necessary to gut the carcasses. The fish need to cut off the head, and then carefully pull out the insides. If you are lucky and there is caviar in the smelt, leave it - it will turn out even tastier.
Now you know how to cook a delicious fish. Enjoy your meal!