Cantabrian anchovy fillets in extra virgin olive oil

Many people know anchovies only as very salty, thin supermarket fillets. Good Cantabrian anchovies are a different product altogether. The fillets are fuller, firmer and more fleshy, with a deep savoury flavour without salt overwhelming everything else.

As with good ham or cheese, the final flavour is not determined solely by the raw ingredient, but also by time. Salting, maturing and careful preparation turn a simple little fish into a genuine delicacy.

The European anchovy – Engraulis encrasicolus – is found, among other places, along Europe's Atlantic coast. These fillets come from the Cantabrian Sea along the northern coast of Spain.

Cantabrian anchovies are renowned for their firm flesh and rich flavour. Santoña in Cantabria, in particular, has built an international reputation around the traditional preparation and maturing of anchovies.

After the catch, the fish are salted and given time to mature. During that process, flavour and texture slowly change. The pronounced umami is therefore not created by added flavourings, but by the natural maturation process.

Then comes the precision work. The anchovies are carefully cleaned and prepared into beautiful fillets. This labour-intensive handwork is an important difference compared with many industrial anchovies.

The fillets are preserved in Extra Virgin olive oil from Frantoio Galantino. The olive oil protects the fish from drying out and exposure to oxygen, but from a culinary point of view it does something equally important: its fruity aromas soften the salty character and marry beautifully with the rich umami of the anchovies.

So don't throw the oil away. Use it over bread, in a dressing or with tomatoes. By then it has also absorbed some of the savoury character of the anchovies.

Expect a pronounced savoury flavour, plenty of umami and a clear salty note. At the same time, good Cantabrian fillets are fleshy and meltingly tender. The salt supports the flavour rather than dominating it completely. That is exactly why these anchovies can also be enjoyed simply on their own.

Taste the first anchovy on its own or on a piece of good bread. That is the best way to notice the difference from an ordinary anchovy. After that, there are countless ways to use them in the kitchen.

Anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea (Engraulis encrasicolus, FAO 27), 50% Extra Virgin olive oil and salt. A good product really doesn't need much more.

In the Olijfolie Academie we explain much more about Cantabrian anchovies: the catch, traditional maturation, hand preparation, flavour and why good Extra Virgin olive oil makes such a difference.

Because many people base their opinion on cheap, extremely salty anchovies, the difference here can be surprising. These fillets are firm and fleshy, yet at the same time tender and refined. Plenty of umami, beautiful salinity and good Extra Virgin olive oil. Taste one on its own and you immediately understand why Cantabrian anchovies are treated as a delicacy.