Aperitif (Anchovy, Boquerones, Gildas) by Casa Santoña
It consists of two units of each:
2 fillets of Cantabrian Anchovies 00 Special Selection, handcrafted from carefully selected fish caught in the Cantabrian Sea. 00 anchovies are the largest on the world market. They offer an intense flavor and the perfect level of salt. Their texture is very meaty, with a deep, wild flavor. Discover Casa Santoña gourmet Cantabrian anchovies.
2 extra boquerones. Casa Santoña selects the finest fresh boquerones from Cantabrian ports and cleans them until all impurities are removed. They are then given just the right amount of time in a mixture of wine vinegar, lemon, and salt, and preserved in olive oil. The result is boquerón fillets with a mild flavor, low salt content, a natural color, and a meaty, delicate texture.
2 Gildas. Casa Santoña anchovy gilda is the quintessential aperitif or tapa of northern Spain, especially in Donostia, San Sebastián, where it is considered an emblem and icon of the gastronomic culture of this coastal city. Casa Santoña Gilda is made with the finest ingredients: the perfect combination of olive, Ibarra piparra pepper (a sweet, non-spicy chili pepper), and a whole Casa Santoña anchovy. The Gilda is served in banderilla skewer format.
Technical details:
Features: Net weight: 115 g // Drained weight: 80 g / 8 fillets.
Ingredients: Anchovies (FISH) (Engraulis Encrasicolus), sunflower oil, salt and vinegar; Piparra peppers (vinegar and preservative E-223); Anchovy-stuffed olive: manzanilla olive, water and 6% anchovy paste, stabilizer E-401, flavor enhancer E-601 and sunflower oil).
Producer: Casa Santoña
Location: Guadarrama (Madrid)
Nutritional Table for Bonito del Norte Tuna (per 100gr, drained)
- Energy 171 Kcal
- Fat 13.7g
- Of which saturates: 1.74g
- Carbohydrates 0.5g
- Of which sugars 0g
- Protein 11.8g
- Salt 4.65g
Pair with a well-chilled red or white vermouth, white wines, and cava to enhance the flavors of the fish.
Allergens: may contain traces of fish, crustaceans, dairy products, and almonds.
Store refrigerated.
Best before: 9 months after production
Santoña: world capital of Premium Anchovies
The fishing town of Santoña is located in the western part of Cantabria. It is known as the birthplace of Juan de la Cosa, Christopher Columbus’s navigator on his voyages to America, for its natural treasures such as the Santoña Marshes and Berria beach, and for its historic buildings, including the forts of San Martín, San Carlos and Napoleón, and the church of Virgen del Puerto. However, whenever someone says its name, the immediate response is: Bring me anchovies! Without a doubt, this product has achieved fame 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 home, but how are they made and delivered from Santoña to the rest of the world if we do not visit the fishing 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 preserved seafood industry in northern Spain. They brought with them a new technique, salt-curing, mainly focused on preparing “bocarte,” as anchovy is known at origin. The process consisted of removing the heads of the anchovies, placing them in barrels with salt, and leaving them pressed for between four and six months, a stage known as maturation.
Anchovy Production Process
Selection
On arrival at port, the freshest fish and the most suitable size are selected, and purchased at 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 inside plastic barrels in alternating layers of fish and sea salt. It can also be pressed in salt-curing tins with just the right amount of salt, a method known as “Alla vera carne.”
Transformation
When the salt-cured anchovy has reached the optimal degree of maturation and the proper 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 centrifuging 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 possible skin remnants, are removed, and the fillets are packed neatly and carefully.