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Koryushka
Fried smelt
Koryushka (корюшка): St Petersburg spring smelt, cleaned, floured and fried until crisp
When the ice breaks on the Neva in April and May, St Petersburg goes mad for koryushka, small silvery smelt that famously smell of fresh cucumber. Stalls sell them by the kilo, the city holds a smelt festival, and every cafe fries them by the plateful. Dusted in flour and fried in hot sunflower oil, they come out golden and crunchy outside, sweet and tender inside, eaten with fingers, soft bones and all, with lemon and boiled potatoes with dill. A common mistake is crowding the pan, which drops the oil temperature and leaves the fish soggy; fry in small batches. Fish is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily from the backbone. Frozen smelt or sprats work out of season. Chef's tip: rye flour gives a darker, nuttier crust, a favourite in Petersburg homes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperground
- 2 ⅞ oz rye or plain flour
- ¾ cup sunflower oilfor frying
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
- ⅛ oz fresh dill (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse the 1 ¾ lb smelt, cleaned, gutted and heads removed in cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels. Season with the 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
4 minStep 2: Toss the fish in the 2 ⅞ oz rye or plain flour on a plate and shake off the excess.
3 minStep 3: Heat the ¾ cup sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles immediately.
3 minStep 4: Fry the smelt in a single layer in batches for 2–3 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp, and the flesh is opaque and flakes easily from the backbone.
12 minStep 5: Drain on paper towels and serve hot with 1 lemon and ⅛ oz fresh dill.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does koryushka take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of rye or plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
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