As an experiment, I opened a can of Smoked Riga Sprats
in oil, drained off the oil and other liquid, while
heating a deep cast iron pot on the stovetop at high
heat.
When the pot got near the skittering-water-drop
temperature, I poured enough oil to cover the inside
bottom of the pot, then gently dumped in the drained
sprats.
At first, I covered the pot to contain the sprays
of hot oil and water from exploding pockets of steam,
but after halfway-thru this was not necessary.
Every few minutes, I would gently turn and rearrange
the sprats for even cooking. Toward the end, I would
tilt the pan and deep-fry the sprats in the oil
run into that corner, while continuing to rearrange
the sprats.
When the bubbling of water vapor from the sprats
diminished to a low level, I retrieved them with
a slotted spoon and spread them on paper towels
to drain.
They were crispy, as anticipated. Pretty good,
except I did not fry them far enough. I was
so concerned about not burning them that I pulled
them too early. My concern about them cooking
unevenly was not at all a problem, so I probably
could have turned them fewer times.
They have an interesting smoky flavor and subtle
crispy texture, like bacon (at its best) or
Peking duck (at its best). I foresee many possible
uses for these fish, once I nail down the frying
parameters.