[KosmicKitty]

Mr Kitty absolutely insists that the bones are what makes the sardines crunchy (good)

i am working to get there :-) But skin, that I could eat.

[SAJ]

Cook him up some deep fried smelt. He'll go mad for them. Chop the head, run your paring knife sideways once down the gut, rinse, and they're cleaned. Leave the tail ON!

Serve with an old-fashioned cornbread and a cabbage-based slaw. You'll have a happy Mr. Kitty on your hands, I'll guarantee.

The tail, btw, comes out like a potato chip. The spine, only bone left in the smelt after deep-frying, will be delightfully crunchy for him. You, perhaps, might want to pull the spine before eating the smelt; unless you're a crunch freak, eating the spine WILL be a very different experience for you.