Marithes Tiganites (Fried Smelts) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs smelt (about 3 dozen)
salt
flour, for coating
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Clean, wash, and drain smelts. (If smelts are large, cut heads off. Leave tiny smelts whole.).
Make a small incision on one side of each smelt. Under cold running water, clean smelts by squeezing out innards. Drain. Sprinkle with salt. Coat with flour.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry smelts until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve hot.