British Anchovies
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fish
Select middle-sized fish from a half bushel of the freshest available.
Remove the heads without cutting and draw out the guts.
Pack the jars
Layer the fish in straight-sided unglazed earthen jars with the salt mixture, pressing down as you go.
Ensure the top layer of the mixture is at least 2 inches thick.
Seal the jars with cork bungs and melted resin.
Bury the jars in dry sand in a cool place for nine months.
Add the liquid and finish
A fortnight before using, dissolve gum dragon, sal prunelle, and red sanders in boiled water and strain.
Pour the mixture over the fish and reseal the jars.
After a week, turn the jars upside down for a day or two, then set them upright again.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws moisture out of the fish and firms its flesh, helping preserve it.
- Gum dragon
- Thickens the liquid so it coats the fish and clings evenly to the surface.
- Red sanders
- Adds colour to the liquid, tinting the fish a deep red.
The step that matters
Packing the salt layer. The top layer of salt mixture must be at least 2 inches thick. Salt draws moisture out and slows spoilage, so a thin top layer leaves the fish exposed to air and microbes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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