Description
This authentic Boquerones Recipe, gathered from Spanish fishmongers and time-tested techniques, creates the perfect marinated anchovies tapas for serving at home with crusty bread, olives, and a glass of crisp white wine.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
To Clean and Cure:
- 1 pound fresh anchovies
- 1 cup white wine vinegar + 2-3 tablespoons cold water
- 4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
Marinade:
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small garlic cloves, diced
To Serve:
- Slivered red onion
- Diced chives (or flat leaf parsley)
- Extra virgin olive oil (as needed)
Instructions
- If cleaning the anchovies yourself, remove the head and spine, as well as the entrails. Place fish in a large bowl and wash them under cold water for 3-4 minutes, or until the water runs clear and the fish are clean.
- Re-fill the bowl full of fish with cold water, stir in the 3 teaspoons salt and a few handfuls of ice, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This helps further clean the fish, as well as season and firm the texture.
- Remove anchovies from the fridge, rinse them with clean water and pat dry. Lay them on a large sheet of plastic wrap in a single layer. Cover them with more wrap until airtight. Freeze for at least 24 hours. Remove from the freezer and let defrost in the fridge.
- Mix the vinegar with a few tablespoons of water and the final teaspoon of coarse kosher salt, line the anchovies in a glass or ceramic tray and pour over the vinegar mixture. Let the fish pickle in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours, depending on their size.
- Drain anchovies from the vinegar. Rinse in cold water and pat dry. They should feel firm and look more opaque, leaning towards a white color. Pour olive oil over fish and sprinkle with diced or sliced garlic. Refrigerate for a few hours - up to 4 for best flavor.
- To serve, top pickled anchovies with diced fresh herbs like chives and flat leaf parsley and sprinkle with red onion slivers. Add another drizzle of olive oil, if needed. Serve with rustic sliced bread, olives and potato chips.
Notes
- Best served within 4-5 days of preparation
- Store in olive oil in a sealed container in the refrigerator
- Not recommended for heating - enjoy chilled
- Pairs perfectly with crusty bread, olives, and a crisp white wine
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Curing + Marinating: 46 hours
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8
- Calories: 273
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 2400 mg
- Fat: 16.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.1 g
- Protein: 18.8 g
- Cholesterol: 48.3 mg