CORNMEAL-CRUSTED SMELTS WITH CORN DRESSING

Cornmeal-Crusted Smelts With Corn Dressing image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1/2 cup canned or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
18 smelts, cleaned, gutted and headless
1 cup skim milk
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 cup homemade or commercial mayonnaise
1 tablespoon strong mustard
Lemon wedges

Steps:

Combine the corn, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, dill seed, sugar, vinegar and water in a small non-aluminum saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
While the corn mixture is cooking, rinse the smelts and pat them dry. Place them in a bowl and add the milk. Season the cornmeal with salt and cayenne pepper to taste and place in a shallow dish.
When the corn mixture has finished cooking, heat the butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet. Roll the smelts in the cornmeal mixture to coat them, place them in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat about two minutes on each side until lightly browned. Transfer the smelts to a warm platter.
Drain the corn mixture of any excess liquid, then mix with the mayonnaise. Stir in the mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the fish garnished with lemon wedges with the sauce on the side.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 867, UnsaturatedFat 39 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 48 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 79 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 1362 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams, TransFat 0 grams