To Make Anchovies
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Pound all ingredients in a mortar.
Cure
In a stone pot or anchovy barrel, layer sprats and the compound alternately. Press down hard and cover tightly.
Let it sit for six months before use.
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
- Sprats
- Main fish being cured, providing the flesh that becomes the finished anchovies.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws moisture out of the fish and preserves it through the long cure.
- Saltpetre
- Helps preserve the fish and keeps its colour during the long cure.
The step that matters
Pressing down hard and covering tightly. Packing the layers firmly removes air pockets and keeps the fish submerged in its own brine, which limits spoilage during the long cure.
“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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