You should always have anchovies on hand
Anchovies—perfect for quick summer meals
Summer at Home
Who wouldn’t love to be at the beach in the summer, watching the sunset with a cool glass of white wine and a snack?
This scenario isn’t always possible. Our tip for the balcony, the patio, or an open window on a summer evening: anchovies. They bring a taste of the Mediterranean in a delicious way, are healthy, and require very little effort in the kitchen.
If you’d like to try this right away, take a few slices of white bread, drizzle them with olive oil, and toast them under the broiler; rub a clove of garlic over them and top them with anchovies. If you prefer a slightly fruitier flavor, you can also rub a large tomato—such as a Coeur de Boeuf—over the toasted white bread slice before placing the anchovies on top.
Alternatively, cut a ripe tomato into long wedges, then top them with sliced red onion and anchovies. Sprinkle with a little freshly ground pepper and drizzle with some lemon juice. Done.
Anchovies, Filetti di Acciughe © GloriousMe
Pair it with a cool glass of white wine or a good beer. Bring on the sunset.
For anyone who wants to learn more about anchovies
“Anchovis” is the term commonly used in Europe for sardines. Sardines typically grow to about 10 cm in length, making them smaller and slimmer than sardines, which can grow up to 20 cm long and are sometimes confused with them because of their similar names.
Anchovies are usually available here as fillets that have been pickled in salt, fermented, and then preserved in oil. The fermentation process gives them a very savory, aromatic flavor. They are brownish in color. Fresh sardelles are usually only available in the Mediterranean region. There, they are also offered marinated or breaded in restaurants or delicatessens.
White anchovies are anchovy fillets that are marinated in vinegar and then stored in olive oil. This preparation process gives them a light to white color.
Anchovies, like sardines, are related to herring. Their names are derived from the Latin word “Sarda” (herring).
Cantabria—the region for anchovy lovers
In Europe, anchovies are caught primarily in the northeastern Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean, northern Spain, the Aegean Sea, and the Ligurian Sea.
Ligurian Sea © GloriousMe
According to the WWF, they are also safe to consume from these fishing grounds, as the stocks are sufficient.
In the Cantabria region, located at the northern tip of Spain, anchovies are caught in the Cantabrian Sea, which are considered particularly flavorful by anchovy enthusiasts. This is due to the cold, nutrient-rich water and the strong Atlantic currents in this region. The fishing season runs from April to June.
Some suppliers of Cantabrian anchovies include the family-owned business Olasagasti, the company Anchors Hazas, and the company La Rosita.
Anchovies © Alamy Stock Photo
Cantabrian anchovies are available at some fish markets, from specialty online retailers, and sometimes even at high-end wine shops that specialize in Spanish wines.
Experts recommend storing Cantabrian anchovy cans in the refrigerator whenever possible and taking them out of the refrigerator just a few hours before eating them.
For a special gourmet treat
If you’re vacationing in Spain and you see Cantabrian anchovies on the menu, they’re definitely worth ordering. The brown fillets—usually a bit larger than the ones we’re used to seeing in jars—are a real treat. They’re carefully arranged on a plate with some good olive oil. That’s it.
They aren’t cheap, because the filleting process alone involves a great deal of manual labor. The outstanding flavor—which I last tasted in Menorca—is sure to remain a fond memory for all anchovy fans.
By the way, the capital of Cantabria is Santander. The Spanish bank Banco Santander was founded here in 1857 and has since become one of the largest banks in the world.
For everyday enjoyment at home
Anchovies are used frequently at GloriousMe: They give every pizza a more savory flavor; fried eggs topped with anchovies taste especially good after a very long night; and every tomato-based pasta ragout benefits from adding anchovies at the start of the simmering process.
For everyday anchovy enjoyment, we’ve had excellent experiences with Vecchio Molo’s Filetti di Acciughe and Ortiz’s Anchovis Sardellen Filets. Both are sold in small glass bottles and are available at good grocery stores.
Anchovies, just the way Sophia Loren loved them
People in Italy love anchovies, too.
Sophia Loren in ‘Gold of Naples’ (1954) © Alamy Stock Photo
Sophia Loren liked pasta with anchovy butter. The following recipe has been passed down from her: Pat about 10 anchovies from a jar dry and mix them with 125 grams of room-temperature butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and sauté them in oil over very low heat until light yellow. Add a can of peeled tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper, and let it simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, finely chop the parsley leaves and cook the spaghetti.
Place the anchovy butter in a large bowl, add the hot spaghetti, and mix well. Then add the tomato sauce. If you like, grate some fresh Parmesan on top. Pure umami—even though purists would argue that any pasta dish containing fish in Italy should be served without Parmesan.
Orecchiette with Broccoli and Anchovies
Da Claudio was the place to go in Frankfurt am Main if you were in the mood for excellent Italian home-style cooking. Unfortunately, the restaurant has since closed. Fortunately, however, Da Claudio’s cookbook is on our bookshelf. His recipe for orecchiette with broccoli and anchovies is one of our favorites—it’s a regular on our menu, and we’d love to share it with you:
350 g orecchiette
800 g broccoli
4 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2–4 peperoncino peppers
4–6 anchovy fillets
Cook the orecchiette in salted water and add the quartered broccoli after 5 minutes, so that after 15 minutes of cooking, the pasta and vegetables are both al dente. In a saucepan, gently sauté the chopped garlic, chili pepper, and anchovies in oil—then toss the pasta and broccoli with the mixture. Buon appetito.
There’s hardly a more delicious way to get your omega-3 fatty acids.
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Cover Photo © GloriousMe
