Fries with Eyes: Crispy Whole Smelt with Roasted Broccoli and Greens

Crispy Whole Smelt

A thin flour coating crisps without hiding the fish. Small batches and steady oil temperature keep the delicate smelt light rather than greasy.

Ingredients

• 2 lb small smelt, preferably 3–5 inches long, gutted and cleaned with heads and tails intact
• 1 cup cassava flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for finishing
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1–2 qt refined avocado oil, enough for 2 inches in a heavy pot
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Check that the fish are cleaned, removing any remaining scales or innards. Pat the fish and belly cavities thoroughly dry, then refrigerate while preparing the salad.
2. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan. Heat 2 inches of avocado oil in a deep, heavy pot to 350°F, keeping the pot no more than half full.
3. Mix the cassava flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat only one batch of fish at a time, shaking off excess flour so the skin remains visible through the thin dusting.
4. Carefully lower a few fish into the oil without crowding. Fry for approximately 3–5 minutes, turning if needed, until golden, the fins are crisp, and the flesh is opaque. Maintain the oil between 340°F and 360°F; the thickest part of a test fish should reach 145°F.
5. Transfer to the rack and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let the oil return to 350°F before frying the next batch. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Notes

• Ask the fishmonger for small smelt suitable for whole frying. Cooking time increases with size.
• Small smelt are often eaten head, tail, and all, but bones are not guaranteed to become soft. Remove the backbone or head if preferred, and check portions carefully for children.
• For several batches, hold fried fish uncovered on the rack in a 200°F oven for no more than about 15 minutes.

Mixed Greens with Roasted Broccoli and Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Dry, tender leaves hold a light coating of dressing, while browned broccoli adds texture and a little bitterness. Lemon keeps the tahini dressing sharp enough to balance fried fish.

Ingredients

• 12 oz broccoli, cut into small florets with peeled stems thinly sliced, optional
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 6 oz mixed baby lettuces and arugula, washed and thoroughly dried
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2–3 tbsp cold water
• to taste freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. If using broccoli, heat the oven to 450°F. Toss the florets and sliced stems with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a sheet pan.
2. Roast for 15–20 minutes, tossing once, until browned at the edges and just tender. Spread out and let cool to lukewarm so it will not wilt the leaves.
3. Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice, then add cold water a little at a time until smooth and pourable. Season with salt and pepper; it should taste distinctly lemony.
4. Just before serving, toss the greens and broccoli with enough dressing to lightly coat. Add any remaining dressing only as needed.

Notes

• If skipping the broccoli, omit its roasting oil and use the greens alone.
• Tahini varies in thickness. Add water by the teaspoon if the dressing clings in heavy patches rather than coating the leaves.

Overall Timing / Workflow

Preparing the salad before frying lets the fish reach the table at its crispest.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 450°F if using broccoli. Cut and season the broccoli, then put it in the oven.
2. 0:05 — Check and dry the fish. Wash and dry the greens and whisk the dressing.
3. 0:15 — Begin heating the frying oil. Remove the broccoli when browned and let it cool.
4. 0:25 — Dredge and fry the fish in small batches, draining each batch on a rack.
5. 0:40 — Toss the salad, plate alongside the hot fish, and serve immediately.

Plating

Keeping the dressed greens beside, rather than underneath, the fish preserves the crust.

Instructions

1. Place a loose mound of dressed greens and broccoli on one side of each wide, shallow bowl.
2. Arrange the fish in a low, overlapping pile on the other side, leaving the heads and tails visible.
3. Serve lemon wedges alongside and squeeze them over the fish only as you eat.

Leftover Path

Dry reheating restores some crunch; keeping salad and fish separate prevents sogginess.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate leftover fish separately from the salad within 2 hours and use within 1–2 days.
2. Reheat the fish on a rack over a sheet pan in a 400°F oven for 8–12 minutes, until crisp and heated through to 165°F.
3. Keep undressed greens and extra dressing separate for another salad. Eat already-dressed greens promptly; they will not retain their texture overnight.
4. Alternatively, remove the heads and backbones from chilled fish and flake the flesh into fresh lemon-dressed greens.