Marinated anchovies in lemon and vinegar
Marinated anchovies: fresh anchovy fillets cured in lemon and vinegar, dressed with garlic, parsley and olive oil. A fresh, fragrant seafood starter to make ahead.
Are you looking for marinated anchovies, the kind that smell of the sea and taste of summer, served cold with a slice of bread?
Then this recipe is for you. I’ll walk you through, step by step, how to make anchovies marinated in lemon and vinegar, dressed with garlic, parsley and a good olive oil. It is a cheap, light seafood starter that brings all the flavor of the Mediterranean to the table without turning on the stove.
The beauty of this dish is that you prepare it calmly and ahead of time, and it has at least three real advantages: it costs little, it is naturally gluten free and dairy free, and it always makes an impression when you have guests over for drinks. The acid in the lemon and vinegar turns the flesh white and firm, but be careful: this is not cooking. That is why freezing the fish, at least 96 hours at -18 degrees, is the truly essential step to eliminate the risk of anisakis. Never skip it.
One detail that makes the difference: choose very fresh anchovies, asking your fishmonger for fish suitable to eat raw, and balance lemon and vinegar to your taste. If you like a touch of heat, add a little chilli between the layers.
Keep the anchovies in the fridge, covered in oil, for up to 2-3 days, and take them out just before serving on crostini or with rustic bread.
Ready? Let’s make the marinated anchovies.
Steps
- Clean the anchovies: remove the head and innards, butterfly them open and lift out the central bone, then rinse and pat them dry.
- For safety, freeze the anchovies: keep them in the freezer for at least 96 hours at -18 degrees (or 24 hours at -20) before marinating, to eliminate the risk of anisakis, then thaw them in the fridge.
- Lay the fillets in a dish and cover them with the lemon juice and vinegar. Let them marinate in the fridge for 4-12 hours: the flesh turns white and firm.
- Drain the anchovies from the acidic marinade and layer them in a container with sliced garlic, chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and, if you like, chilli.
- Cover them with extra virgin olive oil and let them take on flavor for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy them cold, with bread.
Helpful tips
Safety first: vinegar does not cook the fish. Freezing it, at least 96 hours at -18 degrees, is essential against anisakis.
The fresher the anchovies, the better the result: ask your fishmonger for fish suitable to eat raw.
Adjust the acidity to taste by balancing lemon and vinegar during the marinade.
They keep in the fridge, covered in oil, for 2-3 days: excellent as a starter or on crostini.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 1.0 g
- Sugars
- 0.0 g
- Protein
- 18.0 g
- Fat
- 12.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.5 g
- Fiber
- 0.0 g
- Sodium
- 600 mg
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