To Bake Smelts is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of smelts covered in breadcrumbs and dotted with butter that are oven baked, drizzled with lemon juice and served hot. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: To Bake Smelts.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
318. INGREDIENTS.—12 smelts, bread crumbs, 1/4 lb. of fresh butter, 2 blades of pounded mace; salt and cayenne to taste.
Mode.—Wash, and dry the fish thoroughly in a cloth, and arrange them nicely in a flat baking-dish. Cover them with fine bread crumbs, and place little pieces of butter all over them. Season and bake for 15 minutes. Just before serving, add a squeeze of lemon-juice, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon.
Time.—1/4 hour. Average cost, 2s. per dozen.
Seasonable from October to May.
Sufficient for 6 persons.
TO CHOOSE SMELTS.—When good, this fish is of a fine silvery appearance, and when alive, their backs are of a dark brown shade, which, after death, fades to a light fawn. They ought to have a refreshing fragrance, resembling that of a cucumber.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
12 smelts
200g breadcrumbs
115g butter
2 blades of mace, ground
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
lemon juice, to season
6 tbsp fried parsley, to garnish
lemon wedges, to accompany
Method:
Wash the fish well and dry thoroughly then pack them attractively in the base of an earthenware baking dish. Cover with a layer of fine breadcrumbs then dot the top with chopped butter. Season with salt, cayenne pepper and mace then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C.
Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven and drizzle a little lemon juice over the top. Garnish with fried parsley and lemon wedges then serve.
