Can? Not!
Posted on October 28, 2006
Anchovies have always been one of my favorite snacks. Before I visited the Adriatic coast, you could often find me huddled over a can of salted anchovies in oil, slurping up the lubricious filets like a terrestrial dolphin with thumbs. The ancient method of salt-curing fish is still employed in Dalmatia, and salted whole anchovies and sardines drizzled generously with olive oil are a common snack or early course there. On the time-worn stone floor of the fish market in Split, you will find large tubs of salted anchovies…
…and sardines for sale by the kilo.
But if you prefer your usoljena riba packed in cold-pressed, unfiltered olive oil, that’s not a problem either. Jars of preserved sardines and anchovies come in various sizes and styles. One can even find them with capers or various herbs.
When island-hopping in Croatia, a jar of salted fish in oil and a loaf of fresh bread make a terrific snack on the boat (especially if you have a bottle of strong, homemade wine to slake the powerful thirst they’ll arouse), but if you have access to a kitchen or grill, you’ll want to take advantage of the abundance of fresh anchovies as I did.
Cleaning and fileting fresh anchovies does not even require a knife (one merely pulls the filets away from the spine with the thumbs), but Dalmatians commonly enjoy small fish such as these baked, fried or grilled whole - heads, bones and all - exactly as they came from the sea. It’s a practice I endorse wholeheartedly, as all of the fish’s flavor, texture and nutritional value remain intact, and nothing is wasted.
For these fried anchovies I went a step further than a simple flour-dusting. For every cup of flour, I added 1/2 cup of finely ground almonds and six tablespoons of Vegeta.
After the first coating of almond flour, the anchovies went without a fight into simple egg wash (3 eggs beaten with three cups of milk), then back into the almond-flour mixture. From there, it’s a simple matter of frying the wee plankton-eaters in enough oil to cover. I suppose frying them in olive oil would lend richness and a robust flavor, but if you use the almond flour method, olive oil would likely overpower the nut’s delicate flavor. Better to drizzle olive oil over them after frying in a mild vegetable oil, such as safflower. Besides, do you really have that much olive oil lying around for deep frying?
Allow the excess oil to drain from the fried fish on a paper towel, drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over them and enjoy as a snack with your favorite wine…
…or as part of a well-balanced meal. With your favorite wine.
If you’re in the continental United States and are able to find fresh, whole anchovies for $2/lb as I did in Split, I’d love to hear from you, but I’m not holding my breath.
I have to wonder about next year’s anchovy yields. Earlier this autumn, millions of anchovies beached (and killed) themselves mysteriously in northern Spain, near Colunga, Asturias. Since testing detected no toxic chemicals in the fish, the accepted theory states that the shoal was attempting to escape hungry dolphins or tuna. It’s estimated that if all of these anchovies had reached maturity, they would have constituted 100 tons of potential breeders.
» Filed Under Uncategorized
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.