A loaf of bread, a drink of your choice and a tupperware of pickled anchovies is all you need for a spectacular dinner. Anchovies, a very widespread preserve in our country, can be purchased anywhere. But without a doubt, nothing can compare with the flavor of homemade pickled anchovies. It is a custom, this elaborate one, that is being lost. Once you read this article, you will know how to make anchovies like no one else, and you will be able to prepare them to enjoy all season long. Please note that it will take a week to complete the entire process.
You must take into account several things from the moment you set foot in your trusted fishmonger. The professionals at this establishment can advise you better than anyone on which type is best for you to make anchovies, but it is important that you arrive at the fishmonger knowing what you have to buy. The anchovy you buy must be large. To make sure it’s fresh, look at the scales and eyes: they should look shiny. Buy half a kilo of anchovies. Keep in mind that, once you clean them at home, it is an amount that will decrease considerably.
How to clean anchovies
Once you get home you will have to clean the anchovies. It is a bit of a tedious task, but the rest of the process to make your pickled anchovies will be a breeze in comparison. We advise you to get some thin gloves, which protect your hands from the smell of fish but allow you to preserve as much dexterity as possible. You must do this process with all the anchovies, one by one:
- Grab the anchovy by the head and twist it until it gives way. Do it delicately and you will also be able to remove the intestine in the same movement. To do this, pull the head down, on the side where the pelvic fin is, towards the tail. Your mouth should be open in half.
- Carefully poke with your fingers inside the anchovy to clean any remains of gut that may have remained inside.
- Put your finger back inside the anchovy, and with a movement that goes from bottom to top from the tail, remove the spines by complex.
- Repeat with all the anchovies.
Once you carry out this process, you must freeze the anchovies to ensure that they do not have anisakis. The pickling process should kill this parasite, but prevention is best done by putting the anchovies in the freezer.
How to make anchovies in vinegar
Once your anchovies have spent a few days freezing, thaw them in the refrigerator and prepare to dip them in vinegar. Prepare a tupperware for their elaboration where they have room to be elaborated. Remember that anchovy is a delicate fish:
- Once thawed, wash the anchovy and soak it in water for about ten minutes. This will take away all the blood from the fish, which tends to leave an unpleasant taste.
- Wash the anchovy again and place them in the tupperware that you have chosen. Cover them with vinegar and a teaspoon of salt.
- Let them rest for a day in the refrigerator.
- The next day they are drained and the dressing is prepared.
- In it tupperware where you are going to store them, cover them with sunflower oil, chopped garlic and parsley to taste.
- Your anchovies will now be ready to enjoy. Remember that they must remain in the refrigerator.
How to make pickled mushrooms
If you like the flavor of this preserve but you can’t or want to eat anchovies, we recommend its vegan version: pickled mushrooms. The preparation process for this recipe is faster than its fish alternative, and you can enjoy them the same day if you prepare them ahead of time. We recommend that you purchase the mushrooms already laminated and washed to speed up the process. But if you buy them whole, wash them in cold water so they don’t spoil and then cut them carefully with a sharp knife. This recipe is for 200 grams of mushrooms:
- Place the mushrooms in a container. As with anchovies, it must be a tupperware where they have space.
- Cover the mushrooms with a teaspoon of salt, salting them well.
- Cover them with vinegar and let them rest in the refrigerator for two hours.
- Take them out of the refrigerator after that time. As with the anchovies, remove excess vinegar and cover them in oil. In this case, it can be sunflower or olive. We recommend that you opt for liquid gold, as it leaves an intense flavor that complements very well with the mushrooms.
- Dress them with parsley and chopped garlic to taste. Remember that they must remain in the refrigerator.
Another alternative to this appetizer is to make it with zucchini. This vegetable has a different flavor, and the final result may even remind you of the flavor of anchovy. Choose generous and large zucchini, so that you can make a large quantity at once. This recipe is for 100 grams of zucchini:
- Wash and peel the zucchini with a peeler or sharp knife. We recommend that you do this step with gloves, since the skin of the zucchini releases a sticky substance that can leave your hands feeling dry. Make sure you remove all the greenness from the skin, as it can make the preserve bitter.
- Cut the zucchini into sticks. They should not be very thick, so that they absorb the vinegar well.
- Mix vinegar, whatever you need to cover the zucchini, with a teaspoon of water and another of salt.
- Pour the mixture into a tupperware over the zucchini and leave the preserve in the refrigerator for six to eight hours. The time will depend on how thickly you cut the zucchini and whether you prefer it to be soft or al dente.
- After time, drain the zucchini and cover them with olive oil, parsley and salt to taste.
#anchovies #vinegar
