Boquerones en Escabeche (Pickled Anchovies)

This is an old, old way of preserving small fish which has survived into modern times because it is so delicious. The coast round Nerja is known for its shoals of fresh anchovies. Serves 8

2 lb. fresh anchovies, sardines or smelts.
6-8 tablespoons olive oil
2 oz. flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small pinch of spanish saffron strands
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
9 fl. oz red-wine vinegar
4 bay leaves
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Cut off the fish heads, pulling out their innards. Slit them down the belly, as far as the tail, and swish the insdes under a tap.

Then put each fish down on a board, black back upwards, and press a thumb firmly down on it. This opens it out like a book and makes it easy to rip out the backbone and tail.

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a big frying pan. Dust the fish with seasoned flour on a baking tray and fry immediately you have a trayful (there will be about 4 of these).

Put them in skin-side down and turn after 1-2 minutes. Remove them to kitchen paper to drain. Take the pan off the heat between batches and add more olive oil as necessary.

Fry the garlic in the remaining olive oil, then move to a mortar or a small herb (or coffee) mill. Work to a paste with a pinch of salt, the saffron, cumin seeds and ginger. Work in the vinegar.

Arrange the fish in an earthware dish, skin up. This can be shallow if you are planning to serve them within 24 hours, but should be smalller and deeper if you want to keep them.

Mix 9 fl. oz of water into the spicy mixture and pour this over the fish. Add more vinegar and water to cover them completely if you are keeping them.

Lay the bay leaves and very thinly sliced lemon over the top. Refrigerate for half a day before eating. They can be served straight from the dish, and eaten before a week.

Boquerones Al Natural (Marinated Fresh Anchovies)

From: S.Mancini@t-online.de (S.Mancini)
Source: "Cooking in Spain" by Janet Mendel Searl

1/2 kg fresh anchovies 250 ml vinegar
1 ts salt 50 ml olive oil
4 cloves garlic 2 tb chopped parsley

Remove heads of the fish. Grasp top of the backbone, give it a sharp jerk down across the back and the bone will come free. Cut it off, leaving the two fillets attached at the tails. Wash them and place in a single layer in a shallow dish. Add enough vinegar to cover and the salt. Marinate from 6 to 24 hours, or until the fillets are white and solid - they are "cooked" by the vinegar. Drain them, rinse in cold water and arrange on a bed of shredded lettuce on a serving plate. Sprinkle with the oil, minced garlic and parsley. Chopped onion and lemon juice can be added

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