fried sardines....absolutely delicious
These fried sardines actually never make it from the pan to the plate to serve. They disappear right before your eyes! I have experimented with different flours and techniques but I find that a mix of cornstarch and a small bit of flour tends to work perfectly. Flour just by itself doesn't get crispy. These are about 3" long and you can usually find them in fish markets fresh or frozen. Here is what you need:
preptime: 30-45 minutes
marinate time: 1 hr
cooktime: 10-15 minutes
1 lb of cleaned smelts, head on
1 large onion, juiced and grated
1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1/3 c all purpose flour
1c cornstarch
salt
oil for frying, about 2 cups
lemons to serve
start my running the smelts under cold water for a few minutes to remove any blood that may still be in the fish. Drain and put in a bowl.
add the grated onion and juice as well as the Istanbul spice blend and parsley. Set aside for 1 hour in the fridge
prepare the flour mix and add the Aegean blend to the flour mixture. Start oil in a a fryer or a deep skillet. It should be about 1" deep
take a few smelts at a time and dredge in the flour mixture, obtaining a light coating through out. Repeat this process, shaking off the excess.
when the oil is at a shimmer, start frying. working in small batches until all are complete, drain on papertowels.
serve with lemon and try not to burn yourself while popping them in your mouth!
Commenti