Cleaning and Curing Small Fish

Capelin are in the smelt family and are found in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Capelin are easy to catch with a dip net when they approach the beach - at times (in Newfoundland) they roll all the way onto the beaches, catching them is pretty easy either way. This video shows a quick cleaning method for the male capelin and it also demonstrates a way of using a convection oven as part of the curing and cooking process. (Traditionally the sun and wind was the curing method). Cooking capelin can be done as with smelt or as with small trout - this video shows salting and curing/cooking in a household convection oven.

The video also shows recipe variations and the harvesting of capelin roe. Some Japanese mix wasabi with capelin roe and call it "wasabi caviar".

This video shows the capelin being cleaned before curing/cooking - many old timers simply ate heads, guts and all (after curing/cooking).