Crisp-Fried Smelt or Whitebait and Onions

THIS SIMPLE dish is one of the traditional foods served in Chian tavernas and is usually eaten as a meze, accompanied by the local ouzo. To make it, tiny Aegean fish—a kind of tasty smelt or whitebait—are mixed with onions and fried in olive oil, a delicious combination.

Of the various begoto that I have tasted, I prefer the one served at Theodosiou, a tiny old taverna at the harbor of Chios Town. The place is always packed when it’s open, but as the owner prefers to e