In the Russian culinary tradition, anchovies are somehow unlucky. Sometimes they are considered some unknown exotic delicacy and are pronounced with aspiration and a feeling of touching the realms of haute cuisine. On the contrary, they are listed in the same row as sprat.
To be fair, we note that the anchovy is somewhat related to the notorious sprat: both are members of the Herring order. But the families are already diverging: the sprat is Herring, and the anchovy, oddly enough, is Anchovy.

Here is the statement “anchovy is just anchovy!” is already closer to the truth. Hamsa is the name given to one of the European types of anchovies. And there are also Japanese, Caspian, Australian, Californian, Peruvian, Argentinean and, finally, silver ones. It is important to remember that it is also impossible to replace anchovy with domestically produced anchovy - the salting technology and the requirements for the quality of fish are completely different. And if finely chopped salted anchovy (lo and behold!) almost completely dissolves in olive oil, giving it a noble piquant taste, then this trick will not be possible with native anchovy, much less sprat.

But let’s leave these taxonomic subtleties and better mentally transport ourselves to some Mediterranean shore. For example, to the French town of Collioure in the Gulf of Lion, where anchovies have been harvested since the Middle Ages, or even earlier. Salting technologies have changed little over the past centuries, and there is no need to: anchovy - it cries out for simplicity. First, the fish is rolled in coarse salt and placed in huge wooden barrels, where it languishes “in its own juice” for two weeks. Then she is gutted and decapitated. By the way, manually. They are sorted by size and put into barrels again - but different ones and carefully: in even layers, each sprinkling with salt. She lives like this for another three months. At the final stage, the paths of the anchovies diverge: some will become simple salted fish in jars or boxes, and others will become anchovy fillets in oil. Or anchovy marinated in dry white wine.

By the way, before eating, salted anchovies are sometimes worth soaking for 10-20 minutes in water or milk to remove excess salt.

We need all this background so that we are not afraid of the anchovy and understand what exactly we are eating. It’s really absurd to be afraid of an anchovy: this fish is small, it grows to a maximum of twenty centimeters, and only if you’re lucky. Its standard “can” size is 7-8 centimeters.
But this is exactly the case when “small but big”: this silvery crumb very significantly influenced European cuisine. Sauces, pastes and tapenades; pizzas and pies; stuffed poultry and grilled fish; salads, cold appetizers and even fondue - wherever this fish has been.

Silver classic

Despite the myriad of dishes containing anchovies, when you think of this fish, three things first come to mind: tapenade (or tapenade), Worcestershire sauce and garum sauce. Three giants of three very different cuisines: Provençal (and eventually the entire western Mediterranean), English and ancient Roman.

Garum, an ancient Roman sauce made from fermented anchovies (and sometimes shellfish), vinegar, olive oil and salt, is more interesting to us from a historical point of view. At least because the huge stone baths in which the Romans kept garum can no longer be found during the day with a fire. I would like to add: and because in our civilized times the idea of ​​fermenting fish may not seem attractive, even the Swedes and Icelanders seem to have stopped eating aged shark liver. But we won’t add it because it’s not true: firstly, traditional Chinese or Vietnamese fish sauces are made almost exactly the same as garum. Secondly, the famous Worcestershire sauce, which appeared in more than civilized England in more than cultured Victorian times, is based on nothing more than fermented anchovy paste.

We, of course, will not make Worcestershire sauce at home (at least because we will have nowhere to live after this), but it is still necessary for an educated person to know its composition.
The list of ingredients for Worcestershire sauce is almost as impressive as Homer's list of ships. But if the second one is read traditionally “to the middle,” then we recommend reading the first one in full.

So, here we go: fermented anchovy paste, tomato paste, walnut extract, champignon extract-decoction, tamarind, dessert wine, lemon, horseradish, celery, meat extract, aspic, malt vinegar, water, salt, burnt sugar, tarragon vinegar tincture , ginger, bay leaf, nutmeg, ground black pepper, curry powder, chili pepper, allspice. There are also different versions: with shallots, onions, garlic, asafoetida.

And finally, tapenade, or as it is called in Provence, “poor man’s caviar.” And how can one not remember the famous “overseas caviar, squash”: after all, what is practically “pasture” for Provence, for us is quite an overseas exotic. Tapenade has three main ingredients: anchovies, capers (in Provençal - tapeno), olives. They eat this hearty, but at the same time quite light snack, generously spreading it on fresh homemade bread or baguette.

Provencals actively add garlic to tapenade - garlic is generally in use in this region. In addition, they diversify the traditional food with rosemary and basil, canned tuna, sun-dried tomatoes, nuts, mustard, and lemon juice. Add a little strong alcohol to the tapenade: rum, grape vodka, brandy.

Classic Provençal tapenade

Ingredients:
100 g anchovy fillets (in their own juice or simply salted)
250 g pitted black olives (marinated or salted)
100 g capers
2 cloves garlic
100 tuna (in own juice)
2-3 sprigs of basil (preferably purple)
and/or 2-3 sprigs of parsley
150 g olive oil
1 tbsp. l. black rum (or grape vodka)
juice of ½ lemon (optional)
ground black pepper

Preparation:
Grind the anchovies, garlic and herbs in a blender. Not quite a mess, but fine enough. Add all the other ingredients to the blender bowl and blend the whole mixture again until more or less homogeneous.
Important! There is no need to salt the tapenade. Even if you pre-soak the anchovies and use marinated rather than salted olives, most likely the food’s “own” salt will still be enough and you won’t have to add salt.

In the same way, you can make a tapenade mix, in which you combine black olives with green ones. Generally speaking, there is nothing stopping you from making it simply from green ones.

And there is also a Corsican version of tapenade (although it is not called tapenade there): anchovies are ground in a blender along with fresh figs and garlic; This paste is spread on fresh bread lightly sprinkled with olive oil.

What to do with all this goodness? There are options.
You can, like simple Provencals, spread it on fresh bread, take such a sandwich in one hand, a tomato or a good piece of fresh rennet cheese in the other, and eat it slowly, washed down with dry white wine. You can make sandwiches with tapenade, fry them well, pressing them tightly into a dry frying pan, cut into strips and serve with good mozzarella, lettuce and fresh tomatoes. Can be served with fresh vegetables or stuffed with hard-boiled eggs. Or you can make, for example, palmieres au tapenade - layered “ears” with tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes and thyme. You can stuff chicken or “spread” grilled sea bream or tuna... In general, in any case, a good tapenade on the farm will not sit out and go to waste.

Like his “little brother” - anchoad:

Anchoad

Ingredients
100 g salted anchovy fillets
150 g olive oil 2-3 cloves garlic
ground black pepper
1 tbsp. l. wine vinegar

Preparation:
Pound the anchovy fillets and garlic well in a mortar. Lazy people can use a blender, but it’s like with pesto: either speed or results. Add the vinegar and pepper and, whisking with a fork or small whisk, add the olive oil: you should get a thick, smooth paste. You can add a little more mustard without grains.
This pasta is served with raw vegetables, boiled eggs, and toast.

Silver of the North
A well-deserved tribute to this small silver fish is paid not only in the sunny Mediterranean. One of the most famous Swedish dishes, Jonson's Temptation, is also based on anchovies.

Jonson's temptation

Ingredients (in any quantity):
anchovies
potato
onion
homemade sour cream or melted butter
breadcrumbs

Preparation:
Peel the potatoes, cut into small slices, and lightly fry. Cut the onion into strips or half rings, simmer in butter or vegetable oil. Place on a baking sheet in layers: potatoes - onions - anchovies. It is better to lightly spray each layer with oil or grease with sour cream. Repeat layers. Grease the top layer well with sour cream, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and place the baking sheet in the oven. Determine the readiness of the dish by the readiness of the potatoes.

They say that in the canonical Swedish version there is homemade mayonnaise instead of sour cream. But, homemade or not, mayonnaise is still an emulsion, and subjecting it to heat treatment is at least pointless, and at most harmful. It’s much better to take good thick sour cream (you can add a little mustard to it). And anchovies will add piquancy to the dish.

There are also a lot of anchovies in the cuisine of the Apennine Peninsula. Since the time of garum, Italian preferences have changed significantly. What can they do here with these silver fish! Here are just a few examples:
- pizza “Sfincini” with anchovies and pecorino;
- pizza “Andrea”: anchovies, onions, garlic, basil, oregano (oregano), tomatoes, black olives;
- hot sauce “Bagna Cauda” made from anchovies, garlic and olive oil - served with raw vegetables or fresh bread;
- Easter lamb with anchovies and rosemary;
- “Calabrian caviar” - an anchoada-like appetizer: anchovies, olive oil, black pepper;
- Trieste afternoon snack: a mixture of anchovy paste with gorgonzola, mascarpone, cream, cumin, mustard and chives;
- Venetian-style poultry (partridges, ducks, guinea fowl) with Peverada sauce (anchovies, baked chicken or goose liver, parsley, garlic, soft Italian salami, lemon, white wine and white wine vinegar);
- Campanian spaghetti with garlic-anchovy sauce “Puttanesca” (anchovies, tomatoes, garlic, butter and olive oil, parsley, pepper)
and much more. For example, pissaladiere, alternative pizza. Initially, this dish is French, but in Italy it has taken root as a native dish. A reverse pizza migration, so to speak.

Ingredients:
For filling:
10-15 anchovy fillets
1-1.5 kg of onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
a couple of thyme sprigs
10-15 large black olives
1 tsp. Sahara
4 tbsp. l. olive oil
salt pepper
For the test:
500 g flour
2 packets of baking powder
2 tbsp. l. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
300 ml water

Preparation:
Chop the onion coarsely, garlic finely. Simmer both in a saucepan or deep frying pan over low heat for about 1 hour 20 minutes. About 20 minutes before the end, add thyme, pepper, salt, sugar. At the very end, place the anchovy fillets into the onion.
Sift the flour, mix with salt and baking powder. Add water and oil, knead the dough - it should turn out smooth and elastic. Roll it out, place it on a greased baking sheet and let it sit in a warm place for 1 hour.
Place the filling on the dough and place the olives on top.
Place the pizza in an oven preheated to 220°C for 20 minutes.

Another fine example of the elegant use of anchovies in Italian cuisine is the world famous “Vitello tonnato”, which simply translates as “veal with tuna”. Chefs are still arguing about how to properly prepare veal for this dish. Some say - just cook, and minimalistically: only salt and black pepper, nothing more! The latter insist: bake! And with vegetables, wine, zest - in general, it’s elegant. We offer you the second option:

Ingredients:
700 g veal (ideally tenderloin)
80 ml white wine
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stalk of celery (optional)
1 sprig rosemary
grated zest of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 orange (optional)
olive oil
butter
beef broth
salt

For the sauce:
200 g tuna in oil
4-5 anchovy fillets in oil
2 boiled eggs
10 g capers
lemon juice
olive oil

Preparation:
Heat butter and olive oil in a deep frying pan, add coarsely chopped celery, onion, carrots, add a sprig of rosemary.
Fry the meat in one piece in the same frying pan on all sides until slightly golden brown.
Pour wine, broth into a deep baking dish, add orange and lemon zest. Salt the meat and place in the pan along with the vegetables.
Bake the meat in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 220°C. Periodically turn it over and pour liquid from the mold.
You can bake the meat the day before or in the morning if you plan to serve it in the evening.
For the sauce, beat the tuna, capers, anchovies and (optional) boiled eggs in a blender. Add olive oil and lemon juice and stir. You will get a beautiful pink sauce, similar in consistency to mayonnaise.
Cut the veal into beautiful thin slices, place 2-3 slices on a large serving plate, brush each with sauce and bend. Before serving, you can garnish with thin green onions and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

In general, what can I tell you: the path of the little silver fish is long and varied. From the time of the Caesars to the present day; from Provence to New York, from Spain to Norway; from rustic tapenade to Bloody Mary cocktail. Are you surprised by the latter? But of course, “Mary” without Worcestershire sauce is just vodka with tomato juice, and in Worcestershire sauce they are just anchovies.

Anchovy belongs to the pelagic genus of marine fish, the anchovy family. In total, there are 8 varieties of anchovies, which are found in different seas almost all over the world. Thus, anchovies that live in the Azov, Black Seas and the Kerch Strait are also called anchovy by another name.

This is a schooling fish, and they live only a short distance from the coastal zone. They cannot be found on the open sea or ocean.

In the warm season, they migrate north and swim near the surface of the sea. Closer to winter, they swim towards the south and can descend to a depth of up to 400 meters. The temperature of the water in which anchovies always live varies from 6 to 22 degrees.

Over the course of a year, they swim from their overwintering places to places where they breed and fatten. This fish from the herring order spawns in the coldest months of the year. This period begins in October and ends in March.

Anchovies play an important role in the food chain of the inhabitants of the seas and oceans. They feed on the main predatory fish that live in their neighborhood. This fish is an excellent food for sharks, halibut, mackerel, beluga, salmon, etc. Dolphins and squid also feed on anchovies.

Off the coast of Chile and Peru, anchovies are food for gulls, cormorants, and gannets. Due to the large number of fish living in this area, the number of these birds is quite large. And, perhaps, in these places there are more birds feeding on anchovies than in any other habitat.

It is very difficult not to notice the places where anchovies swim. During the winter migration period, fish swim in large schools, and at the same time a large number of gulls and petrels fly on the surface of the sea.

As for the number of subspecies, anchovies here are at the level of small deep-sea fish, since they do not differ in great diversity, but in the total number of individuals living in all seas they clearly exceed most of all living fish.

In addition, the number of anchovies that live in the coastal zone directly affects the number of pelicans living nearby and their diet, which consists mainly of this tasty and nutritious fish. California browns are direct proof of this.

Anchovies also differ in the shape of the eggs they lay. While other fish have mostly spherical caviar, anchovy caviar does not look like an ellipse or a drop.

People also love this fish as it is very tasty and nutritious. Anchovies, due to the fact that they live on sea coasts, contain many nutritional elements that are important and necessary for humans. In stores, anchovies are most often sold canned in jars or salted and dried.

This fish is also of great importance for fishermen. Since anchovies are great for catching large fish such as sea bass and tuna.

What does an anchovy look like?

It looks like a rather small herring-shaped fish. The length generally reaches 15 cm, sometimes 23 cm. It grows very quickly in the first two years of life and by the end of the 2nd year it can reach 10-11 cm. Then the growth process proceeds much more slowly. It has a gray-blue color. Some species have a green color with a blue tint.

You can also find anchovies that will have a silvery sheen stripe that runs down the sides. The head is small and slightly flattened on the sides. The mouth is big. Anchovies have sharp teeth in the mouth on the upper and lower jaws. The average age that this fish reaches is 3-4 years.

The largest individuals can reach 40 cm. But this already applies to a specific genus - Koilia anchovies. They swim off the coasts of Indonesia, India, southern Japan and China.

What does anchovy eat?

Since the fish itself is small in size and swims in schools, food for it should always be in large quantities and relatively small. That is why The anchovy feeds on small planktonic crustaceans and fish eggs.

In order to get food, anchovies almost always swim with their mouths open, so the likelihood of swallowing a large amount of food increases significantly.

Classification

The following types of anchovies are distinguished:

• European anchovy. Or the more familiar anchovy to us. Lives in the Azov-Black Sea waters;
• Japanese anchovy. Found off the coast of Kamchatka, Sakhalin and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk;
• Cape anchovy. Sailing off South Africa in Atlantic waters;
• California anchovy;
• Peruvian anchovy;
• silver anchovies. Found only on the east coast of America;
• Argentinean anchovy.

Where to catch anchovy?

Anchovies live where the water temperature is quite moderate. Therefore, it is not found in seas where the water is too warm or too cold. It can sometimes be found in river mouths where the water will be slightly brackish and dirty.

A lot of anchovies live in the Mediterranean Sea. They are also often caught off the coast of Italy, France, Sicily and Spain. In the Atlantic waters of Europe, as well as in the southern part of Norway, you can also find your own type of anchovy.

The waters of India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippine Islands are home to the largest number of species and genera of anchovies. Sometimes the number of anchovy genera caught off these coasts reaches 10.

During the winter months, the anchovy that lives in the Black Sea becomes less active and can only be found in some coastal areas. During this period, it can sink to a depth of up to 80 m.

Most anchovies live off the coast of Peru and Northern Chile. This is where the Peruvian anchovy is caught. This is due to the fact that the coastal zone of these countries is characterized by a large amount of phytoplankton living in it, and this is the main food of anchovies. It is also no coincidence that phytoplankton is found there in such quantities.

A favorable environment is created for it, since water saturated with elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon salts rises from the very depths.

How to catch more fish?

I have been active fishing for quite some time and have found many ways to improve the bite. And here are the most effective:

1. . Attracts fish in cold and warm water with the help of pheromones included in the composition and stimulates its appetite. It’s a pity that Rosprirodnadzor wants to impose a ban on its sale.
2. More sensitive gear. Reviews and instructions for other types of gear can be found on the pages of my website.
3. Lures using pheromones.

You can get the rest of the secrets of successful fishing for free by reading my other materials on the site.

How to catch anchovy?

Anchovies are now caught mainly for sale and in fairly large quantities. But the number of fish caught per year will soon be significantly reduced and an ordinary fisherman will no longer be able to catch it, since a fine will be introduced for this. Anchovies are caught mainly with purse seines.

Fishing vessels most often use purse seines, cast nets and fixed seines to catch anchovies. Pelagic trawls are also used.

Of all the fish that are caught for subsequent trade, anchovies are not the least important. Back in the 70s, the catch of this fish per year was 14 million tons. Of this entire volume, the Peruvian anchovy has the largest population. But today it is not on the shelves in Russia.

Now you can buy mainly European anchovy, which lives in our seas, such as the Azov and Black seas. Japan, Vietnam and Korea also bring us their own types of anchovies.

Fishing

Anchovies are a very tasty fish, and when they reach the end of their feeding period, they become quite fatty. So her fat percentage can reach 22-23%. As a rule, such a fat one can be caught in the fall. This feature distinguishes the Azov anchovy.

It is for this composition that people value anchovies very much. It is small, has its own pleasant taste, after special processing, and also saturates it with natural fats, so necessary for humans.

Mostly anchovies of such types as European and Japanese come to our tables. All other types of fish serve completely different purposes. Thus, almost all the Peruvian anchovy fish caught is used to produce fishmeal.

Fishmeal is used in these and other countries as livestock feed and is also a good fertilizer for crops grown in the fields. Tropical anchovies are caught in small quantities, so all this fish is mainly sold to local residents.

Most Californian, tropical and Japanese anchovies are used as bait for larger fish. So, in order to catch tuna, fishermen throw anchovies in large quantities into places where tuna swims. For this they use special nets.

As soon as a large fish approaches the vessel and begins to greedily absorb its bait, fishermen throw a spoon into these places. The tuna, busy eating anchovies, quite easily swallows the hook and is caught by fishermen.

The value of this fish was appreciated back in ancient times. Back then, anchovies were used to make hot and sour sauces or pickled and served. Today, this fish is most common as a delicacy in France and Italy.

It is from European anchovy that you can prepare quite a lot of delicious dishes.

Anchovies(lat. Engraulis) - a genus of pelagic marine fish from the anchovy family ( Engraulidae).

Classification

The anchovy genus includes 8 very closely related species that inhabit the coastal temperate waters of both hemispheres:

• European anchovy, or anchovy, ( Engraulis encrasicolus);
• Japanese anchovy ( Engraulis japonicus);
• cape anchovy ( Engraulis capensis listen)) lives in the Atlantic waters of South Africa;
• Australian anchovy ( Engraulis australis) - along the southern coasts of Australia and New Zealand;
• California anchovy ( Engraulis mordax),
• Peruvian anchovy ( Engraulis ringens),
• silver anchovy ( Engraulis eurystole) - along the east coast of the United States,
• Argentinean anchovy ( Engraulis anchoita).

All anchovies live at some distance from the coast, never entering the open ocean; found at water temperatures from 6 to 22 °C. They perform daily (vertical) and seasonal migrations. The maximum length of anchovies does not exceed 20 cm, but the number of these schooling fish is very large. In terms of the total mass of all individuals, they occupy first place among fish, and in terms of the number of specimens they are second only to some small deep-sea fish, in particular Cyclothone. All anchovies are planktivores and play an important role in marine food chains, in turn serving as food for predatory fish, dolphins, squid and seabirds. Fertility - 20-30 thousand eggs.

Fishing

Anchovies are one of the most important groups of commercial fish. In - gg. their annual catch reached 12-14 million tons, of which 11-13 million tons were Peruvian anchovies. In the 1980s Due to overfishing and unfavorable climate change, stocks of this species decreased, but by the 1990s. have almost recovered to their previous volume. European and Japanese anchovies also play a significant role in the fishery. Tropical species are of only local commercial importance. Anchovies are caught mainly with purse seines.

The value of anchovies as a fishery object is largely determined by the high fat content of these fish. Thus, Azov anchovy in the fall after the end of feeding contains 23-28% fat. The taste qualities of these fish are very high. Even in ancient times, Mediterranean anchovies were highly valued in salted form and for making garum sauce; In Japan and Korea, anchovies are traditionally eaten. However, anchovies are not eaten everywhere. Almost all of the Peruvian anchovy catch, for example, is used to make fishmeal to feed livestock and fertilize fields. Many tropical anchovies, as well as Japanese and Californian anchovies, are used as food for farmed fish species and as bait for the tuna fishery.

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• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

Excerpt characterizing Anchovies

- What... what have they brought us to! - Kutuzov suddenly said in an excited voice, obviously having clearly imagined, from the story of Prince Andrei, the situation in which Russia was. “Give me time, give me time,” he added with an angry expression on his face and, obviously not wanting to continue this conversation that worried him, said: “I called you to keep you with me.”
“I thank your lordship,” answered Prince Andrey, “but I’m afraid that I’m no longer fit for headquarters,” he said with a smile, which Kutuzov noticed. Kutuzov looked at him questioningly. “And most importantly,” added Prince Andrei, “I got used to the regiment, fell in love with the officers, and the people, it seems, loved me.” I would be sorry to leave the regiment. If I refuse the honor of being with you, then believe me...
An intelligent, kind and at the same time subtly mocking expression shone on Kutuzov’s plump face. He interrupted Bolkonsky:
– I’m sorry, I would need you; but you're right, you're right. This is not where we need people. There are always many advisers, but no people. The regiments wouldn’t be the same if all the advisers served there in regiments like you. “I remember you from Austerlitz... I remember, I remember, I remember you with the banner,” said Kutuzov, and a joyful color rushed into Prince Andrei’s face at this memory. Kutuzov pulled him by the hand, offering him his cheek, and again Prince Andrei saw tears in the old man’s eyes. Although Prince Andrei knew that Kutuzov was weak to tears and that he was now especially caressing him and feeling sorry for him out of a desire to show sympathy for his loss, Prince Andrei was both joyful and flattered by this memory of Austerlitz.
- Go your way with God. I know your path is a path of honor. – He paused. “I felt sorry for you in Bukarest: I should have sent you.” - And, changing the conversation, Kutuzov began to talk about the Turkish war and the concluded peace. “Yes, they reproached me a lot,” said Kutuzov, “both for the war and for the peace... but everything came on time.” Tout vient a point a celui qui sait attendre. [Everything comes on time for someone who knows how to wait.] And there were no fewer advisers there than here... - he continued, returning to the advisers who, apparently, were keeping him busy. - Oh, advisers, advisers! - he said. If we had listened to everyone, we would not have concluded peace there, in Turkey, and we would not have ended the war. Everything is quick, but quick things take a long time. If Kamensky had not died, he would have disappeared. He stormed the fortress with thirty thousand. Taking a fortress is not difficult, but winning a campaign is difficult. And for this you don’t need to storm and attack, but you need patience and time. Kamensky sent soldiers to Rushchuk, and I sent them alone (patience and time) and took more fortresses than Kamensky, and forced the Turks to eat horse meat. – He shook his head. - And the French will be there too! “Believe my word,” said Kutuzov, inspired, hitting himself on the chest, “they will eat my horse meat!” “And again his eyes began to blur with tears.
- However, before the battle will have to be accepted? - said Prince Andrei.
- It will have to be, if everyone wants it, there is nothing to do... But, my dear: there is nothing stronger than those two warriors, patience and time; they will do everything, but the advisers n "entendent pas de cette oreille, voila le mal. [They don’t hear with this ear - that’s what’s bad.] Some want, others don’t want. What to do? - he asked, apparently expecting an answer. “Yes, what do you tell me to do?” he repeated, and his eyes sparkled with a deep, intelligent expression. “I’ll tell you what to do,” he said, since Prince Andrei still did not answer. “I’ll tell you what to do and what am I doing. Dans le doute, mon cher,” he paused, “abstiens toi, [In doubt, my dear, refrain.],” he said with emphasis.

Anchovy (Engraulis)

Description

In the understanding of Russian people, an anchovy is a small salted fish in a plastic bag, traditionally consumed as a snack for beer. However, it is not always just a snack and not necessarily so small.

Anchovies belong to the fish family of the herring order and grow up to 20 cm in length. They are found in coastal sea and fresh waters of both hemispheres. There are about 15 species of anchovy fish: Japanese, Cape, Australian, Californian, etc. Our native and familiar one, found in the fish department of any supermarket, is called the European anchovy, or simply anchovy.

Properties

The taste of anchovies is very high. The meat is tender and juicy. One of the main values ​​of anchovies is the high level of fat content of these fish. So, per 100 g of the edible part of anchovies there are 14 g of fat and 25 g of protein. Like all seafood, anchovies contain vitamins, macro- and microelements in fairly large quantities. They are especially rich in phosphorus and iodine.

Anchovies are good for the health of the nervous and digestive systems, skin and mucous membranes. Substances contained in anchovies regulate blood sugar levels and are antioxidants.

Application

The main use of anchovies in modern industry is, of course, the production of salted, spicy products and canned food. However, anchovies can be eaten not only in salted, smoked or canned form, because they are an ordinary fish, although they have their own characteristics. It can be purchased fresh and prepared at your discretion. For example, in the cuisines of different nations, anchovies are used fried, stewed with vegetables, and since their flesh is very tender, anchovies make excellent cutlets. Salted anchovies are used for sandwiches and added to salads.

In Italy, anchovies are a traditional pizza topping. In Spain, anchovies are fried and boiled, and used to make sauces. In France they prepare pisaldieu - the famous one, seasoned with anchovy puree and olives. But in Peru and Chile anchovy is not used as food. It is used to prepare fishmeal for feeding livestock and fertilizing fields. Some types of anchovies are used as food for farmed fish and as bait for tuna fishing.

Interesting Facts

Commander Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov came up with a salad of veal, herring and anchovies and prepared such a delicacy for his guests. This salad has survived to this day and is widely distributed in restaurants, where it is served in painted ceramic salad bowls.

In ancient Rome, anchovies were an integral part of garum sauce. This sauce was prepared by fermenting small salted anchovies with aromatic herbs, salt, olive oil, pepper and wine. Throughout the empire, the sauce was sent in small amphorae, and in some regions it completely replaced salt. The preparation of the sauce was prohibited in cities due to the intense fishy smell. A similar recipe for making garum is used today in Vietnam and Thailand.

Calorie content and nutritional value of anchovy

Calorie content of anchovy - 135 kcal.

Nutritional value of anchovy: proteins - 20.1 g, fats - 6.1 g, carbohydrates - 0 g.

Anchovies They are a small fish that belongs to the herring order. There is another name, which is more familiar to many - anchovy. There are approximately 15 varieties in total. The fish body is long and reaches an average of about 15 cm and is colored blue-gray. The head is laterally flattened, and the mouth is disproportionate and large (see photo).

Anchovies live in large schools far from the shore. You can meet this fish in both hemispheres. Life expectancy is no more than 4 years. This type of fish spreads quite quickly. Anchovies can be preserved, which allows them to be stored for 2 years and transported over long distances.

In some countries, large quantities of anchovies are used industrially for the preparation of semi-finished products, fish meal, fertilizer, and also as bait for other more valuable fish. The video below provides more information about this product.

Where are they found and how are they caught?

Where are anchovies found and how are they caught? This question can be heard both from people who are just setting out on the long path of learning culinary skills, and from experienced chefs. The latter often do not think about this and simply use delicious fish to prepare masterpieces, as they say, out of nothing. Let's look into this issue.

So, the genus of the anchovy family has fifteen species of fish that live everywhere in the waters of the oceans and most seas. Depending on their habitat, anchovies have slight differences in appearance and differ somewhat in taste characteristics. The species of fish most known to us live in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the Black and Azov Seas. And besides these subspecies, they are widely used in the world:

• Argentinean anchovy, which is caught in the south of the mainland of South America;
• California anchovy, abundantly caught off the coast of North America;
• Cape anchovy, flocking in schools in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of southern Africa;
• Peruvian and silver anchovy, living off the coast at the junction of the continents of South and North America;
• Japanese anchovy, living off the coast of Sakhalin and Kamchatka, as well as in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Due to its small size, the fish gather in schools and migrate in the underwater kingdom this way. This is what pushes people into commercial fishing. And this activity is very productive due to the large size of the schools and the wide distribution of anchovies. Typically, fishing is carried out at the end of summer or early autumn, when the fish enters relatively shallow waters. Anchovy prefers warm water, and in the cold season it goes to the south of the seas and sinks to a depth of more than eighty meters.

Anchovies are caught using special purse seines or pelagic trawls with fine mesh nets. Thus, a one-time fish catch can be of impressive volumes, and in the end the cost of production is quite low due to minimal costs. The price on the shelves is also reasonable.

The fishing of anchovies in large quantities in the last century created a situation where fishing was completely prohibited. Over time, when the population of this fish was restored in natural conditions (after all, it is inappropriate to breed this type of fish in fish farms), official fishing was resumed and its volumes were even increased somewhat. Now this fish is available on fish counters and sells out very quickly.

Anchovies, sprat, anchovy - what's the difference?

“Anchovies, sprat, anchovy - what’s the difference?” – you will think and start searching for information on the Internet and in specialized literature. Let's try to systematize our knowledge so that we don't have to waste time searching for the answer to this question.

So, all these types of fish are far from the same thing. Although the Black Sea anchovy is sometimes called anchovy, popularly called “black-backed anchovy,” this is fundamentally incorrect. Fish differ not only in appearance, but also in taste. Experienced chefs will tell you about this, who confidently declare that only anchovy meat produces the most delicious and authentic sauces and seasonings for which the cuisine of the Mediterranean countries is so famous. Having summarized the knowledge, let’s summarize the comparative characteristics in a table.

	Oblong, cylindrical in shape, a disproportionately large head, as well as a huge mouth and disproportionately large eyes. Fresh fish has reddish spots on the body in the area of ​​the gill slits.	Outwardly it resembles herring or small herring.	Oblong, cylindrical in shape, the head does not stand out against the general background, although, like the anchovy, it is quite large.
	Small and shiny, has inclusions of black on the main silver. After the catch, it is not completely washed off and often remains near the head and on the edge of the tail.	Small, silver. Completely removed during transportation	Medium size, silver with a slight yellow tint, and colorless when removed. Completely removed during transportation.
Weight (average value, in grams)
	Reaches 14 cm.	A large individual can reach 8 cm.	About 12 cm.
	Delicate, white. It feels dense and elastic.	It has a silvery tint and a more delicate taste than anchovy and anchovy.	White with a slight cream tint. More tender than anchovy, but also elastic.
Fat content	About 30% of the total weight.
	It is bland, but if the carcass is improperly cut it can acquire a specific bitterness. Tastes like fish oil.	Sweetish. The structure resembles herring, although it has a pronounced taste of fish oil.	Neutral. Close in taste to herring. It does not have a pronounced fatty taste.

Each of these fish is unique in its own way, but only anchovies are used in “haute” cooking for preparing various dishes. This will be discussed in the following sections of the article. Other types of fish (from comparison table above) They are used only as a protein supplement for unleavened dishes, although many different tasty and unusual dishes can also be prepared from them.

How to select and store?

In order not to harm the body and purchase quality fish, you need to know some secrets on how to choose it correctly:

When choosing processed anchovies, give preference to whole fish in brine, as they are larger and tastier compared to the option in oil.

It is recommended to use fresh anchovies immediately, since during storage the fish loses its beneficial and tasteful qualities. The maximum storage time in the refrigerator is 4 days. If anchovies are frozen, the time increases to 90 days. When buying fish in cans, place it in a plastic container, fill it with vegetable oil and seal it tightly with a lid. Place the jar in the refrigerator.

Useful properties of anchovies

The beneficial properties of anchovies are due to the presence of a variety of vitamins and minerals. The protein contained in fish is practically not inferior to animal meat. The calorie content of the product is at an average level, so properly prepared fish can be consumed in small quantities during the diet.

Anchovies contain vitamin A, which is necessary for visual acuity and to improve metabolic rate. They contain vitamin B1, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the heart, as well as the nervous system and digestion. Thanks to the presence of vitamin PP, the amount of cholesterol in the blood decreases, and it also takes part in the distribution of oxygen throughout the body.

Considering the presence of potassium and sodium in large quantities, the water balance is normalized, which in turn has a positive effect on the activity of the heart and kidneys, as well as the nervous system. Anchovies contain phosphorus, which takes part in the regeneration of bone tissue, and it also improves the condition of teeth and bones. Thanks to the calcium content, muscle function improves, and this mineral is also necessary for bone tissue. Fish contains iron, which improves the condition of the blood and the process of hematopoiesis in general. It also contains fluorine, which stimulates the immune system, and iodine, which is necessary for the normal course of metabolic processes.

Anchovy meat contains a large amount of fish oil, which is used in pharmacology and cosmetology.

Use in cooking

Anchovies are popular in cooking in many countries around the world. They are consumed fresh, and at home they are also salted, dried, smoked and pickled. They are also used for cooking and heat treatment, so anchovies are boiled, fried, baked, deep-fried, etc. Many people like to stuff small carcasses with olives. Such fish can act as a central or additional ingredient in a dish.

Each country has its own ways of using anchovies, for example, in Italy it is used as a topping on pizza, and in Spain it is boiled, fried and used in various sauces. In France, anchovies are used as a filling for pies. Also, based on this fish, snacks, pastes for sandwiches are made, and they are also added to salads, etc. It is also worth mentioning that anchovies are an indispensable ingredient in the popular and original Worcestershire sauce.

Ways to cook anchovies

There are many ways to prepare anchovies. This is due to the high nutritional value of the product and the taste of the meat of this fish. Cooks have found many ways to prepare anchovies and have created a large number of original dishes that have found their admirers in every corner of the globe. Nowadays, in grocery stores you can easily purchase various canned goods and pickles made from this unique-tasting fish.

Due to the fact that in our regions anchovies are easy to purchase chilled or frozen, we bring to your attention several ways to prepare delicious preparations from them at home. For convenience, the options are summarized in subparagraphs. There is also additional information in the video below.

Preserving

Canning anchovies is a simple process, but a little time-consuming. Although, if you get used to it, you can do it faster.

You will need fresh anchovies, preferably not previously frozen or, in extreme cases, frozen in a gentle way. In industrial conditions, high-quality canned food from any fish is prepared directly at the place of catch, and, by the way, this is exactly what you should always pay attention to when choosing finished products.

You will also need the following components:

• coarse salt in any quantity;
• vegetable deodorized oil (sunflower or olive) - as much as will fit into a jar filled with fish.

Now prepare a sterile container of suitable size and a lid for it, and also put on rubber gloves so that your hands are not saturated with the aroma of this oily fish.

After that, let's move on to the cooking process itself. Rinse the fish and dry on paper towels. Then thoroughly gut the insides of the anchovies, and remove the heads and skeletons along with them. Place a generous handful of dry salt on the bottom of the jar, and place a layer of prepared fillet on top. Alternate layers until the jar is full. Do not forget that, as with any canned food prepared by dry salting, there should be salt on top. Now cover the jar with a lid and place the vessel in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Once the time is up, carefully pour the anchovies into a deep bowl and rinse them thoroughly under cold water. This way you can remove the remaining scales and clean up the remaining salt. Place the fish again on disposable towels and dry. While the fish is drying, rinse and sterilize the jar, and then cool it to room temperature. Place the dried fillets tightly in a bowl and fill with vegetable oil. After this, cover the jar with a lid and place this preparation in the refrigerator. Store canned fish there. Under proper conditions, such preparation will be suitable for food for a month.

The steps described above allow you to prepare amazingly tasty fish, which will be an excellent component of sandwiches and salads. But for making pizza and various anchovy-based sauces, fish is preserved a little differently. This method will be discussed in the subsection on salting anchovies at home.

Salting

Pickling anchovies is no more difficult than preparing them in a marinade according to the recipe above. This will be the so-called wet or regular fish salting. Of the listed ingredients, in addition to the fresh anchovies themselves, for such salting you only need salt and water. The salting time will also be similar to the marinating time.

But tastier, and also faster and more interesting, you can prepare amazing fish using the dry salting method. The ingredients are taken optionally, as they say, by eye, but experience has shown that the amount of salt is usually half the weight of the fish itself. The cooking time for salted anchovies will be only 24 hours (for medium salted fish).

So, pour a layer of coarse salt into a deep, clean and dry container (saucepan or plastic container with a lid), and if desired, add a bay leaf broken into small pieces. In a separate bowl, cook the anchovies. To do this, generously sprinkle them with coarse salt and mix. The fish does not need to be infused, so we move on to the next stage of preparation. Place the anchovies nicely in a container and cover the latter with a lid. Place in the refrigerator and wait for the specified time. Before serving, wash the fish, dry it on disposable towels and gut it. We definitely tear off the fish’s head, but removing the ridge is at the discretion of the owner. When serving, pour aromatic vegetable oil and lemon juice, and also add onions.

Anchovies of this salting go well with boiled potatoes and vegetable pickles.

To prepare delicious dishes of Mediterranean cuisine, salted anchovies are used, prepared using a special method.

The process is similar to the dry salting described above, but differs in some respects.

1. We gut the fish and remove the heads and spines. We do not remove the skin.
2. Sprinkle the carcasses with plenty of salt and compact them well. Sprinkle salt on top of the fish and apply pressure.
3. Periodically add salt, or rather, replace its top layer if it is too wet.
4. Salting lasts for at least two months at room temperature. After this time, the jar of anchovies can be covered with a nylon lid or parchment.
5. You can store salted, and in fact, canned anchovies for a calendar year, but previously frozen raw materials cannot be used to prepare the product.

Fish prepared in this way is used in cooking without washing. Instead of used fish, add dry salt and apply pressure again.

Let's marinate

We will marinate anchovies in the following way. Place the fish washed in running water in a colander and allow the water to drain. Then place the uneviscerated anchovies in a metal bowl or saucepan with a lid of a suitable size.

We will prepare separately:

• table vinegar 9% –100 ml;

• coarse table or sea salt, suitable for human consumption – 3 tablespoons;

• granulated sugar – 2 tablespoons;
• spices for marinating fish - arbitrary amount;
• onions – 2-3 heads;
• cold water – 2 glasses;
• vegetable oil – 50 ml.

Peel the onion and cut into rings, and then place in a container with the fish. Dissolve salt and sugar in water, add vinegar there. Pour oil over the fish and sprinkle with spices, then mix well. If the latter contains salt, then adjust its amount in the marinade. In this case, you can pour the seasonings directly into the marinade and taste the liquid. Pour the marinade over the fish, cover the container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for three days. If you wish, you can put pressure on top of the fish. Gut the finished fish and serve with pickled onions. The maximum time anchovies spend in the filling should not exceed five days. The proportions of ingredients in the recipe are based on one kilogram of raw anchovies.

Drying

Drying anchovies, like any other fish, is interesting. This is not very difficult to do, and an electric dehydrator for vegetables and herbs or an oven with an air convection function will be a good assistant in this matter.

The first place to start the process of drying anchovies is preparing the fish itself. As with any other dish, freshly caught fish is the best choice. If this is not possible and only frozen seafood products are available, then be sure to allow the fish to defrost on its own. To do this, place the product in the refrigerator and cover the container with film. After the time has passed, drain the released liquid and place the fish in a colander.

Raw fish, of course, is not dried, so the next stage of work will be salting. The process is completely similar to the method described for dry salting: the fish must be generously sprinkled with a large amount of coarse table salt, and then, carefully straightening the carcasses, placed in a deep, large-volume vessel. If you wish, you can place the cargo. This will speed up the salting process and also draw moisture out of the anchovies as quickly as possible. The only thing that I would like to draw the attention of culinary experts is that the time for salting fish with this method of preparing for future use should be at least three days.

We begin the drying process by preparing the carcasses. Everything here is up to the housewives' choice. Whether to dry fish with heads or cut into fillets depends on gastronomic wishes. In any case, removal of the entrails is a prerequisite. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the bile. If this does happen, then try to remove it from the fish as best as possible using paper napkins.

Place the finished carcasses or fillets on drying trays or oven racks. A good solution would be to pre-lay parchment paper, which will absorb fat and aroma during drying, and also allow the finished fish to maintain its shape.

Now it's a matter of small things. Select drying mode and wait. Drive all curious people away, otherwise the anchovy will be eaten as soon as it begins to dry. The optimal mode for drying fish is:

• 2 hours at a temperature of 45-50 degrees Celsius;
• 3 hours at 70 degrees Celsius;
• an hour and a half again at around 50 degrees Celsius.

The total cooking time of the product depends on the size of the raw material and its fat content, but in general it takes no more than seven hours. Cool the finished fish before eating, keeping it away from insects. Store product tightly packed in paper bags in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator.

If you don’t have a dryer or a “smart” oven in your kitchen arsenal, then you can perform the operation of drying an anchovy in a well-known and proven way. Hang the gutted fish, strung on thread or fishing line, in a shaded, hot place. It is most convenient to pierce the carcasses through the eye.

Fish dried in this way will be ready in three to four days. In order not to keep flies away from it all this time, cover the “fish beads” with gauze soaked in table vinegar or mint tincture.

The process of drying anchovies, like any other fish, involves complete dehydration of the carcasses and lasts a little longer than drying, which will be discussed in the subsection below.

Vyalim

Drying anchovies is just as interesting as drying them. The process differs from the one described above quite a bit. First of all, the cooking time.

When air-driing anchovies, the product will be ready to eat in two to three days. When drying fish in a dryer or oven, you should reduce the drying time by half or reduce the heating temperature throughout the entire process to 45 degrees Celsius.

What can be substituted at home?

“What can replace anchovies at home?” – those housewives who are interested in recipes for preparing dishes that contain this incomparably tasty fish will ask. Unfortunately, there is no complete substitute for anchovies, especially when preparing gourmet recipes, such as spaghetti sauces or the popular salad called Niçoise. Such density of meat is not inherent in any fish of small breeds.

Although the ingenuity of our hostesses is worth envying! Sometimes you can hear that the product is replaced with salted saury fillet or Vietnamese (Thai) fish sauce, similar in taste to anchovies. But these replacements are not comparable to the real taste of fish.

Harm to anchovy fish and contraindications

Anchovies can be harmful to people with individual intolerance to the product. There are no other contraindications to eating fresh fish. It is not recommended to consume salted anchovies in large quantities, since they have practically no beneficial properties, and salt also has the ability to retain liquid.