Winter at the Sea

Just because we’re blocked in our homes doesn’t mean our tastebuds can’t wander! I love this time of year at the fish market for one [very unpopular] reason: FRESH ANCHOVIES. I often eat these on their own, but they’re delightful over a bed of fresh salad with fresh pomegranate.

To clean the anchovies:

Ask your local fisherman to do the job, OR

make an incision along the length of the belly from the head to the tail with a sharp knife. Discard the guts. Remove the head by sliding your thumb underneath the base of the gills and pressing up with the fish in your hand, almost as if you’re giving someone a thumbs up from a closed fist. Next, gently open the fish from the belly. Use a small knife or your finger to get behind the top of the spine. Holding the top of the spine remove the spine until you reach the tail. Hold the meat of the fish to the cutting board and lightly pull until the bones are separated from the meat. Rinse the meat and pat dry with a paper towel.

What you’ll need:

(For 4 portions)

• 12-15 anchovies

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1 tsp pink peppercorns

• 1 orange

• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 1,5 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp toasted, unsalted almonds, crushed

In the pan:

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium pan on medium heat. Add 1 whole clove of garlic.  Add the zest of 1/4 an orange and 1 tsp of pink peppercorns. Sautee the clove with the orange zest in the pan until the clove becomes golden brown. Place the fish in the pan with the inside facing down (directly on the oiled pan). Raise the flame to high and add 1/4 cup of dry white wine. Let the wine reduce 3/4. Crush 1 tbsp of toasted, unsalted almonds by placing them in a bag a tapping them with the bottom of a jar, or roughly chop them on your [cleaned] cutting board. Transfer the anchovies to a plate, drizzle fresh olive oil, add a sprinkle of salt, and enjoy!