Anchovy fillets in extra virgin olive oil, Chabuca
Their Cantabrian anchovies belong to the Engraulis Encrasicolus species, caught in the fishing grounds of the Cantabrian Sea during the spring season. They are among the tastiest and most sought-after on the market.
Ingredients: Cantabrian anchovies, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.
Producer: M.A. Revilla (Santoña, Cantabria).
Origin: Cantabrian Sea
Quantity: 14-16 anchovy loins.
Pairing: at Made in Spain Gourmet, we recommend them in salads, on their own, and in tapas with crackers. A white wine such as Albariño suits them very well.
Nutritional information:
- Calories: 204 Kcal/850kJ per 100 g
- Total fat: 9,7 g
- Saturated fat 2,2 g
- Salt 9,2 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Sugars 0 g
- Protein 28,9 g
Best before: 12 months
Keep refrigerated between 5º C and 12º C
Leave uncovered at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Once opened, preferably consume within 24 hours and keep them covered with butter
Good anchovies have a surname: from Santoña. And they also have a designation: from the Cantabrian Sea. Although the anchovies come from the Cantabrian Sea, in Santoña (Cantabria) only the preserving is done; the credit belongs to the sea, that wonderful Cantabrian Sea which is a treasure for our gastronomy, even if it is never fully appreciated. Three factors must be recognized as contributing to the outstanding quality of Santoña anchovies: the waters of the Cantabrian Sea and their nutritional richness, artisanal fishing, and the production process.
Anchovy fishing takes place during March, April, and May. This is the best season for salting, when the fleet goes out in search of them and, after returning to port, the finest specimens are selected and bid for. Production takes place between March and June, when the bocarte is at its optimum level of fat, flavor, and texture. Then, during grading, they are separated by size, washed in brine, headed and gutted, and placed in barrels with salt for curing, which lasts between six and eight months. After this time, the most artisanal and delicate stage begins: manual cleaning, or sobado, to remove skin and bones and obtain large, clean fillets that will be preserved in olive oil.
The product caught off the coast of Cantabria and throughout the northern coastline is of exceptional quality, far superior to that from other parts of the world such as Peru, Argentina, Morocco, or even Croatia.
Santoña: world capital of Premium Anchovies
The seafaring town of Santoña is located in the western part of Cantabria. It is known as the birthplace of Juan de la Cosa, navigator for Christopher Columbus on his voyages to America, for its natural treasures such as the Santoña Marshes or Berria beach, and for its historic buildings, such as the forts of San Martín, San Carlos, and Napoleón, and the church of the Virgen del Puerto. However, when someone says its name, one response immediately comes to mind: Bring me anchovies! Without a doubt, this product has achieved fame that extends beyond Spain’s borders and appears on the menus of the finest restaurants around the world. Not a single visitor leaves Santoña without taking anchovies back home, but how are they made and how do they reach the rest of the world from Santoña if we do not visit this seafaring town?
In the 19th century, when salted fish was scarce in southern Italy, a group of Sicilian adventurers arrived in Santoña and some decided to stay, creating the main canning industry in northern Spain. They brought with them a new technique, salting, mainly focused on processing “bocarte,” as the anchovy is known at origin. This consisted of removing the heads from the anchovies, placing them in barrels with salt, and leaving them pressed for four to six months, a process known as maturation.
Anchovy production process
Selection
Upon arrival at the port, the freshest fish and the most suitable size are selected and then purchased at the fish market auctions.
Quality
When the fish arrives at the factory, it undergoes quality control. If it passes, it is salted in suitable containers to achieve rapid dehydration and bleeding.
“Alla vera carne”
Once salted, the fish is headed and gutted, then arranged as quickly as possible in plastic barrels in alternating layers of fish and sea salt from saltworks. It can also be pressed in salting tins with just the right amount of salt, a method known as “Alla vera carne”.
Transformation
When the salted anchovy has reached its optimal maturation point and the appropriate organoleptic characteristics (texture, aroma, pink color, and flavor), it is transformed into anchovy fillets. This key decision in the process is made by the master salter
Scalding, trimming, and dehydration
The skin is removed by scalding the fish, and the belly section and tail are trimmed. The anchovy is then dehydrated by centrifugation or with cloths to achieve the correct moisture level.
Filleting
In this process, the anchovy is manually separated into its two muscle sections along the backbone, producing two fillets. Small bones, as well as any remaining skin, are removed, and the fillets are packed neatly and carefully.