Crispy Fried Smelt (Filipino-Style)

Crispy fried smelt is one of those simple dishes that's hard to stop eating once you start.

Since the fish are small, they fry up quickly and get nice and crisp all the way through.

Served with a vinegar dip on the side, this Filipino-style version is easy to make and great with rice or as pulutan.

Ingredients You'll Need

Notes and Substitutions

• Smelt: Also known as shishamo or sisamo, smelt is a small fish with thin skin that's often eaten whole, bones and all. You can use fresh or frozen. I removed the heads for larger ones, but for smaller fish, you can leave them on and fry them whole.
• Flour + cornstarch: This combination gives the fish a light, crisp coating. You can also use rice flour or potato starch in place of the cornstarch.
• Baking powder: This helps make the coating lighter and a little crispier. If you don't have it, you can skip it-the coating will still turn out crunchy.
• Sawsawan: I served it with a simple I made a vinegar dipping sauce, but you can always change it up. Add a little soy sauce, calamansi, or lemon juice, sliced onions, or chopped tomato if you like.

How to Make Crispy Fried Smelt (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Clean the smelt

If you're using frozen smelt, thaw them completely first.

Using kitchen scissors, cut off the heads if you like - I usually do this for larger ones.

Then snip along the belly just enough to open each fish.

Remove the guts, then rinse the fish under cold water.

Use your fingers to scrape out the dark lining inside - it should come off easily.

No need to dry them completely; a little moisture helps the coating stick better later.

Step 2: Season the fish

Season the cleaned smelt with salt. Mix gently so the fish are evenly coated.

Step 3: Make the coating

In a bowl, mix:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• a pinch of salt
• some ground pepper

Step 4: Coat the smelt

While the smelt are still slightly wet, place them in a bowl with the flour mixture.

That little bit of moisture helps the coating stick and crisp up nicely when fried.

Use your hands to press the coating onto the fish so it sticks well. Shake off any excess.

Step 7: Make the sawsawan (dipping sauce)

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, chopped shallots or red onion, minced garlic, chopped chilies, and freshly cracked black pepper.

This makes the perfect dipping sauce for the crispy smelt!

Step 8: Serve

Serve your crispy fried smelt with your sawsawan on the side.

They're perfect with steamed rice or as pulutan.

Cooking Tips

• Don't overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches so the smelt crisp up instead of steaming.
• Start with slightly wet fish. A little moisture helps the coating stick better and fry up crisp.
• Shake off excess coating. Too much flour can fall off in the oil and burn.
• Keep the oil hot. If the oil isn't hot enough, the fish can turn soggy instead of crisp.
• Let them rest before the second fry. This helps the coating set and crisp up even more.

What to Serve with Fried Smelt

• Sinangag: Garlic fried rice.
• Java rice: Yellow rice with garlic, butter, and annatto.
• Bagoong fried rice: Fried rice with shrimp paste.
• Yang Chow fried rice: Fried rice with shrimp, egg, and vegetables.
• Adobo fried rice: Fried rice with leftover adobo.
• Crab fried rice: Fried rice with crab and aromatics.
• Salted egg salad: Salted eggs with tomatoes and onions.
• Ampalaya salad: Bitter melon with tomatoes and onions.
• Jicama salad: Singkamas with a vinegar dressing.
• Ensaladang talong: Grilled eggplant with tomatoes and onions.
• Ensaladang kamatis: Tomato salad with a soy-vinegar dressing.
• Ensaladang mangga: Green mango with tomatoes, onions, and bagoong.

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