Cod Roe and Sprat Season

[Waltz]

Cod Roe and Sprats are in season here in the UK. I usually smoke some roes but have never tried smoking Sprats before so gave it a try and they make a tasty snack.

I brined the roes and sprats overnight, allowed to dry then smoked for 2 hours and 20 minutes with whisky oak and a total cooking time of 4 hours at 160 F.
This is how they looked at the end of the process:


I hope I have remembered correctly how to post pictures.
I will definitely do the sprats again.

[Slamdunk]

Never heard of Sprats before so off to Wikipedia I go...

A sprat is the common name applied to a group of forage fish which belong to the genus Sprattus in the family Clupeidae. The term is also applied to a number of other small sprat-like forage fish. Like most forage fishes, sprats are highly active small oily fish. They travel in large schools with other fish and swim continuously throughout the day.[1]

They are also recognized for their nutritional value, which contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats which are considered beneficial to the human diet.They are eaten in many places round the world.[2] Sprats are sometimes passed for other fish; products sold as having been prepared from anchovies (since the 19th century) and sardines are sometimes prepared from sprats, as the authentic ones used to be less accessible. They are known for their smooth flavour and are easy to mistake for baby sardines.

I hope they came out great for you...

[3rensho]

The sprats are much loved in Germany, especially in Kiel where they are smoked and known as Kielersprotten.  When there, I get them fresh out of the smoker and eat warm.  Delicious. 

[Waltz]

That's the one's Slamdunk, somewhere between an anchovy and a sardine. I smoked them whole - no preparation other than brining. They are so small that they are awkward to clean and fillet and not worth the hassle.
Here is a picture of the sprats and roes before they went into the brine.

3rensho, if you see fresh raw one's they are worth getting. Amazingly cheap and easy to smoke so then you can prepare your own to eat fresh from the smoker :)