Beer Battered Fried Smelt

Nonetheless, we all sprang into action and fried the fish in my garage, where our community showed up in droves.

What a weird, stressful, but all in all, fun day. I loved seeing all the friendly faces eager to try our food and support our program.

Thank you all very much. Hopefully, next year brings good Feast weather and the opportunity to enjoy one another’s company.

If you’ve never been, please come, and if you haven’t watched Robert Tinnell’s “Feast of the Seven Fishes” movie on Amazon, you are missing out on a great film that was filmed right here in Fairmont, West Virginia.

Enjoy; stay well.

Ingredients

2 C flour, divided

1.5 tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

12 oz. Pilsner Style Beer (Yuengling)

1 lb. Smelt (24 – 32 fish)

1-quart frying oil

Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions:

Mix the 1.5 cups flour, Lawry’s, cayenne, and Old Bay with a whisk in a medium-size metal bowl. Slowly add in the beer and stir until smooth.

Lightly dust the smelt with ½ cup of flour, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Shake off the excess flour. Heat 1 quart of oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to watch the temperature.

Once the fish are dusted, submerge them into the beer batter one by one. Fry the smelt in small batches for about 4-5 minutes each until they turn golden brown.

Place the fish on a clean paper towel to drain off the excess oil. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar if you like.