Marinated Smelts (Escabèche)

Ingredients

• smelts (or other small fish)
• flour
• 500 ml oil
• 8 cloves garlic
• 0.5 carrot
• 1 onion
• 300 ml vinegar
• 150 ml water
• 10 g sea salt
• sprigs thyme
• 0.5 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs parsley
• 2 small hot peppers

Instructions

1. Clean and pat the smelts dry, then dredge lightly in flour.
2. Heat the oil until very hot and color (sauté until golden) the floured fish. Once browned, remove them and arrange in a shallow dish.
3. Heat the oil again until it smokes lightly. For 500 ml of oil, add 8 unpeeled garlic cloves, half a carrot, and 1 onion, both sliced very thin into rounds. Fry for a few moments.
4. Add 300 ml of vinegar, 150 ml of water, 10 grams of sea salt, sprigs of thyme, half a bay leaf, 3 parsley stems, and 2 small hot peppers.
5. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then pour the hot marinade over the fish. Let marinate for 24 hours.
6. Serve with a few spoonfuls of the cold marinade.