Anchovy fillets from Cetara (in a case) – 50G

Cetara anchovies are a delight from Campania that has been a source of livelihood for the fishermen of this small fishing village for centuries. Today anchovy fishing is still a driving force for Cetara’s economy and virtuous companies dedicate themselves completely to this raw material following local tradition, in order to preserve the real taste of these anchovies.

Anchovies are used raw - i.e. freshly caught - in many recipes. I personally love them packed in salt. As a matter of fact, after being caught only in the Gulf of Salerno from the end of March until early July, Cetara anchovies are packed straight away in salt, when they are still very fresh. This very short production chain guarantees the highest quality.

Cetara anchovies are processed by hand and selected according to their size. The anchovies of the Amalfi Coast are rather firm and fleshy, and are thus ideal even after they have been filleted and salted. As far as salt is concerned, Cetara manufacturers only use either Apulian sea salt from the salt flats in Margherita di Savoia or Sicilian salt from Trapani.

Cetara anchovies packed in salt can be bought either whole or filleted. If you purchase whole anchovies, you should rinse them with water to remove excess grains of salt and dab them prior to cooking. I personally love buying anchovies that I can pack in oil myself. I love to pack them in just olive oil or whatever infused oil I like, perhaps adding some minced garlic and parsley to extra virgin olive oil.

If you feel like sipping some wine, anchovies, with their intense sapidity and flavour of the sea, go very well with a glass of sparkly wine or with dry and mineral wines, such as Vermentino di Sardegna or DOC Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.

As far as food pairings are concerned, one thing is sure: I think that the winning combination is bread, butter and anchovies. There is no debate. I still remember how I use to eat anchovies at my grandma’s house, though. In Tuscany anchovies used to be eaten on a slice of bread with olive oil and some drops of red wine vinegar - so tasty!

Cetara anchovies are a great flavour enhancer for many recipes, a little bit like Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or cured fish roe. Since they are packed in salt, they are very tasty and can add a kick of flavour to your dish; they’re incredible on Bruschetta.

Starters with Cetara anchovies and…

If you wish to prepare a starter with Cetara anchovies, you have two options: cold or hot dishes. Anchovies packed in salt are delicious when they are raw in my opinion; here you have some top recipes to create truly delicious gourmet Bruschetta and starters:

•    Bruschetta with multigrain bread, buffalo Mozzarella or Burrata, one anchovy fillet, olive oil and a basil leaf

•    Bruschetta with white bread, diced tomatoes, olives, capers and one anchovy fillet

•    Salad with Puntarelle chicory dressed with a sauce with oil, vinegar, anchovies, garlic, capers and parsley which have been minced and emulsified

•    Slices of toasted bread with steamed asparagus, poached egg and anchovy filet

•    Cold salad with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs dressed with a sauce with oil, vinegar, anchovies, garlic, capers and parsley which have been minced and emulsified

There is another recipe that best enhances the deliciousness of this oily fish packed in salt: Spaghetti with anchovies.

… Spaghetti with Cetara anchovies

The ingredients for four people are:

350g Spaghetti

150g anchovies packed in salt

1 clove of garlic

Parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

If you have purchased whole anchovies, you need to desalt them and remove the fish bone first. Once the fillets are ready, chop them finely with garlic and parsley and put them aside in a big bowl with olive oil. Now it’s time to cook Spaghetti. Drain the pasta when it’s still firm - very important! - and put it in the bowl with the minced anchovies. The secret behind the success of this recipe is not cooking the Cetara anchovies directly above the heat, but rather stirring them in the hot pasta. Mix well and serve very hot.

Have fun!

Anchovy fishing in Cetara

Anchovy fishing has provided a great source of livelihood for the fishermen of the village of Cetara for many centuries; luckily, traditional processing methods have stood the test of time and are still being employed today.

Originally, anchovy fishing entailed the use of a net, called menaide. This net was made of one single net sheet with uniform mesh size; small anchovies could pass through the meshes, whereas the big ones got stuck and were retrieved by hand.

However, in the 20s fishermen in Cetara started replacing the menaide with other nets, called lampare; these funnel-shaped nets would almost reach the seabed. This net used to be cast from the main boat, while another boat illuminated the water to attract fish. It was a very hard and costly fishing method.

Nel 1946 viene introdotto un nuovo sistema di pesca alle alici, la pesca a cianciolo. La pesca delle alici è così fatta con una rete che racchiude il branco di pesci raccolto sotto una fonte luminosa, la rete poi viene chiusa come un sacco e issata a bordo del peschereccio.

In 1946 a new anchovy fishing system was introduced, which was called purse-seine fishing. Anchovy were fished with a net encircling the whole school of fish which had gathered under a source of light. The net was closed like a purse with a drawstring and pulled on the fishing boat.

Anchovies have been the staple food in the diets of Cetara’s inhabitants for many years and they are still used in many recipes. Whether they are chosen for their sapidity or for their undeniable tastiness, anchovies are a special ingredient that can enrich a lot of different dishes.

The life of fishermen in Cetara follows the rhythm set by boats coming in and out of the harbour. Anchovy fishing occurs only in the Gulf of Salerno, in the sea lapping against the shore of the magnificent Amalfi coast. After being fished, anchovies are packed in salt straight away, when they are still very fresh. This swift processing allows preserving the fish flavour and sapidity.

Anchovies are fished between the end of March and the beginning of July. Anchovies from this area are roughly 10 to 18 cm long, and are therefore fleshy and compact.

How are anchovies from Cetara processed?

Whole anchovies or filleted anchovies are processed by hand, selected and divided according to size. There actually is a whole ranking system, where the biggest anchovies are given the number zero (even if triple zero anchovies do exist), down to the smallest anchovies classified by the number three.

The head, scales and fishbone are removed. Then anchovies are placed ‘head to tail’, alternating layers of anchovies with layers of salt. A lid and a weight are placed on the wood container, exerting pressure; during the 4 to 6-month-long ripening process, the 50-kg content of the barrel reduces to a third!

All detail-loving manufacturers use Apulian sea salt from Margherita di Savoia or Sicilian sea salt from Trapani or only use high-quality extra virgin olive to preserve anchovies. In the past, anchovies were packed in salt and preserved in terracotta jars with a glazed interior for the winter months, when fishing yield was low.