- 1 kg anchovies
- 1 large handful coarse sea salt
- 25 cl oil
- 2 carrots
- 2 onions
- 20 cl vinegar
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs parsley
- milled pepper
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 15 minutes
Renowned chef Jacques Le Divellec shares his expertise on anchovies in "La Cuisine de la Mer". Four key varieties exist: common anchovies sold fresh or salted; premium types from Cape Town and Peru bearing protected origin names. "Norwegian anchovies" are actually sprats. Ideal for frying battered or plain, they star in Provençal classics like anchoïade, pissaladière (pichada), and tapenado.
Difficulty: [usr 1]
- Dehead the anchovies, gently pulling to remove entrails; wipe individually to scale without washing. Layer in a deep dish with coarse salt; macerate 2 hours, turning twice.
- Wipe again; fry in batches of 7-8 in 15 cl oil, 1 minute per side. Skim to rinsed dish.
- Sauté chopped carrots and onions 5-6 minutes in remaining oil. Add vinegar, whole peeled garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, pepper pinch, 20 cl water; boil briskly 15 minutes.
- Strain boiling over fish, crushing lightly.
- Cool, cover, refrigerate 12+ hours before serving.
Recipe by Jacques Le Divellec "La Cuisine de la Mer" (Robert Laffont).
