European Smelt

BIN: Osmerus eperlanus
Fr: Éperlan
GER: Stint
IT: Sperlano
ESP: Eperlano
HR: Gavun
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Ingredients (per drink):

4 smelt (3-5g a piece)
Rice flour for dusting
1/2 tsp of paprika or piment d’Espelette
Pinch of salt
200ml frying oil
30ml gin
10ml dry vermouth
1 small cucumber
Lemon peel
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Recipe:

1. Rinse the fish under cold running water and pat dry. Carefully “ply” and pierce four fish onto a metal skewer.

2. Combine the rice flour with the paprika and salt. Dust the smelt skewers in this mixture.

3. Deep fry in 180C hot oil for 3 minutes and place onto a sheet of kitchen roll to absorb some of the oil.

4. Slice one half of the cucumber very thinly and lengthwise on a mandoline and reserve as garnish. Scrape out the pulp from the other half and strain the juice through a sieve. Take the lemon peel and create a lovely piece of garnish (one technique is shown in this reel).

5. For the martini cocktail, pour the gin and vermouth (3:1 ratio) and one teaspoon of the cucumber juice into a cocktail mixing glass or shaker. Add some ice cubes and stir for about 10 seconds. Pour the drink into your martini glass. Stick a folded slice of cucumber onto the fish skewers and decorate the cocktail glass with the lemon peel. Cheers 🥂