Grammie Bea'S Fried Smelts - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 -3 lbs fresh water smelt, small, heads removed and bellys slit and cleaned
3 -4 eggs
1 (8 1/2 ounce) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
oil, enough to fill frying pan up about 2-inch
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Buy as many fresh water smelts as you need. They are smaller and sweeter than sea smelts.
Clean the smelts in cold water, cutting off the heads, and snip down the belly with scissors, to remove the bellies.
Rinse out the bellies of each one, as you cut and snip the heads.
Soak in cold water, until you are ready to cook them, or put in fridge.
When ready to cook you will need:
Eggs, beaten in a lg. bowl, enough to dip all your fish in,(depending on how much you are making depends on how many eggs you.
need).
I use about 3 eggs for 2 lbs. of smelts.
Jiffy corn muffin mix, (if you are cooking 2-3 lbs. of smelts 1 box will do. If you are doing more, then you will need at least 2 boxes).
oil, enough to fill the frying pan up about 2\".
salt, to taste.
Beat the eggs well, and put them in a bowl.
Put Jiffy corn muffin mix in a lg. plate, and mix in salt, about 1/2 teaspoons per box.
Put oil in frying pan to get hot. Cook on high heat, letting the pan get hot, before putting in your fish, then turn down the heat to med-high.
Dip your fish in the egg, and then in the muffin mix.
Deep fry in at least 2\" of oil in a heavy frying pan, until golden brown.
You can also use this corn muffin mix to cook any other sweet fresh water fish, such as horn pout, or what you may call catfish, bass, white perch etc.