Marinated Fresh Anchovies
Marinated fresh anchovies are always a special part of the traditional cold seafood antipasto spreads served in coastal restaurants throughout the Campania region. Yet, especially in the spring and summer months when the fish are locally caught in abundance off the coast of the province of Salerno in the Tyrrhenian sea. In traditional homes, they are typically enjoyed as a delicious start to the meal accompanied by good crusty slices of bread or as an any time of day light meal or snack.
Still dripping wet from the sea, these delectable little fish can be found in cases piled high at the fish markets that dot the Campania coastline in the early morning hours, when the daily catch is brought in by the local fishermen from the nearby waters. Since the only way to get fresher anchovies is to take them right out of the net, I like to arrive at the market early to get first dibs on the freshly caught fish that are without question required for this recipe.
Plus, an early morning rise, the freshest, most delicious fish, and a friendly greeting from Vittorio, my local fishmonger and seafood hero who has given me the best tips ever, is always a fantastic way to start to my day.
Whenever I am buying anchovies Vittorio questions what I am preparing so that he can clean the fish accordingly, which he has taught me is really quite easy to do myself; just snap off the head, clean out the innards, remove the backbone, and rinse thoroughly.
Here’s Vittorio’s quick and easy demonstration on how to clean the fresh anchovies for this recipe.
This recipe is as easy as can be, but it does require several hours to cure the anchovies so be sure to plan well in advance. And also, remember to rinse the fish thoroughly and blot them dry with paper towels before you begin.
Selecting the curing acid(s) depends upon personal taste and how quickly the anchovies will be consumed. To cure the anchovies, Campanian cooks use either 100 percent white wine vinegar or a mixture of white wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice or a dry white wine, usually in a 3 to 1 ratio.
Like many restaurant chefs, I like to use 100 percent white wine vinegar when I make these at home in Campania. Done like this, the cured anchovies may have a slightly more acidic taste than those cured with a mixture of acids, but they will remain firmer and last longer in the refrigerator, for up to a week as opposed to 2 to 3 days. Many people, though, prefer the more subtle taste of the anchovies cured with a mixture of acids, so feel free to experiment a bit with the ingredients in this recipe to suit your own taste, if you wish
Even though, many Campanian cooks cure their anchovies just until they turn opaque and are cooked through, which usually takes 3 to 4 hours for the fish to cure in 100 percent white wine vinegar and at least 8 hours in a mixture of acids, I like to cure mine for 24 hours according to the instructions in the age-old recipe that many traditional restaurant chefs still adhere to given the results are consistently delicious anchovies to look forward to.
Into the acid/s of choice, merely some fine sea salt is essential to cure the anchovies. Although, I also do like to sprinkle in a bit of all-purpose flour, which is not mandatory for good results, but it is a wonderful little trick I learned along the way that Campanian cooks often do to turn the anchovies the desired pearly white color that makes them shine even brighter on the table.
Once the anchovies are cured, they are preserved under a neutral oil, usually canola oil, in a deep ceramic or glass dish and refrigerated covered in plastic wrap for about 2 hours or up to a week before serving.
Like in many Campanian homes, I like to keep a batch of these marinated anchovies ready in the refrigerator to be gobbled up in one way or another at the given moment as our appetites or the occasion dictates. Whether they are served as a delicious start to our meal or as an anytime of day light meal or snack, accompanied by good crusty slices of bread they are as delicious as they are addictive.
Before serving, drain the anchovies completely and arrange them on a serving platter or among the plates, or remove just the amount you need from the oil at the given moment and recover the remaining anchovies with the plastic wrap and return them to the refrigerator.
Serve the anchovies seasoned with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of parsley or mint (or even dried oregano), hot red pepper flakes, and, if you like, some finely minced or very thinly sliced garlic.
Marinated Fresh Anchovies
Ingredients
- 1 pound very fresh anchovies
- 2 cups white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
- pinch of all-purpose flour
- 2 cups canola oil or other neutral oil
For Serving
- extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- freshly minced flat-leaf parsley or slivered mint
- hot red pepper flakes
- finely minced or very thinly sliced garlic optional
Instructions
- To clean the anchovies, snap off the head in the direction of the belly and pull down to remove the innards. Butterfly the fish by running your thumb from the headless end of the belly splitting it down to the tail, leaving the tail intact. Carefully lift up the backbone from the headless end to the tail, holding on to the tail to keep it intact while removing the backbone completely. Rinse the fish thoroughly and blot dry with paper towel.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, and flour until the salt dissolves. Arrange a layer of the fillets with the skin side down in a deep ceramic or glass dish and pour the vinegar mixture over the top to cover. Repeat this layering with the remaining fish and then pour the remaining vinegar mixture over the top to cover them completely. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Drain the anchovies. Lay a couple of layers of paper towel on your work surface and arrange the anchovy fillets over the top with the skin side down. Cover with another couple of layers of paper towels, then gently press down over the top to dry the fillets thoroughly.
- Clean and dry the dish thoroughly. Rearrange the fish fillets in the dish with the skin side down. Pour the canola oil over the top to cover the fillets completely. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours or up to 1 week before serving.
- To serve, drain the anchovies and arrange them on a serving platter or among the plates. Season with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of parsley, and hot red pepper flakes and serve accompanied by crusty slices of bread.