Beer Battered Smelt

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Beer Battered Smelt

What the heck is Smelt?
Smelt is anadromous, meaning that it migrates from its North American saltwater habitat to spawn in fresh water. It's a small (average 4 to 7 inches long) fish with a translucent silver-green back shading into shimmering silver sides and belly. Its delicate flesh is rich, oily and mild-flavored. There are many varieties of this fish, the most widely distributed being the rainbow smelt, found along the Atlantic coast. Fresh smelts are best from September through May. Because they're very perishable,  many are now flash-frozen immediately after being caught. Smelts are marketed whole and are usually eaten that way-head, viscera and bones. Though they can be prepared in a variety of ways, they're generally simply coated with flour and fried.

An anadromous fish is born in fresh water,
spends most if its life in the sea and
returns to fresh water to spawn.
Salmon, Smelt, Shad, Striped Bass and
Sturgeon are all common examples.

Get the recipe here!