Capelin

Pat the fish dry, lightly coat it in flour if you want a crisp surface, then fry in a little oil over medium-high heat for about 2–3 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through. Small capelin are often cooked whole.

Small capelin are commonly served whole; their cooked bones are usually fine to eat if they have softened, but remove any that feel hard or sharp. Take care when serving whole fish to young children, as bones can be a choking hazard.

Keep fresh capelin cold and cook it within a day or two of buying it. Freeze it in a sealed container if you will keep it longer; thaw it in the fridge and cook it promptly.

Its rich, savoury flavour goes well with lemon, rye bread, boiled potatoes and a sharp sauce such as mustard or vinegar dressing. Serve fried capelin with a crisp salad to balance the oily taste.

No. They are different small fish, although they can be cooked in similar ways; capelin has 90 kcal per 100 g, compared with 189 kcal for European sprat and 97 kcal for rainbow smelt.

Often, no: fish sold as shishamo is commonly capelin, while the Japanese shishamo is a different species. The name is especially familiar on grilled, roe-filled fish.

Do not eat ordinary fresh capelin raw: freezing for storage does not necessarily make fish safe to eat raw. Use capelin specifically prepared for raw eating, or cook it until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.