Fresh anchovies--where?

[sweetfern]

I live in Cambridge, I love anchovies & have a recipe for preserving fresh ones

sweetfern

[steinpilz]

Beside New Deal the other places I'd look/call are Courthouse Seafood, Whole Foods, and maybe Savenors.

[Klunco]

I haven't seen fresh anchovies recently, but if I were you I would call New Deal and see if they could order some for you.

Fresh anchovies are extremely perishable. OTOH, you could probably try subbing fresh smelts which are similar and easier to find. Worth a shot.

[StriperGuy]

Smelts are not oily enough to stand up to curing the way anchovies and sardines are.

[Klunco]

Good to know, thanks! Do you normally preserve in salt or oil?

[StriperGuy]

I've done a salt cure (just submerge in kosher salt and wait a month) and also a gravlax (lightly salt, spice, herb, sugar) cure with freshly caught mackeral. Both have turned out excellent.

[Klunco]

Interesting, I may try this with fresh sardines. Do you fill the cavities with salt as well? Also, do you cure in fridge or dark pantry?

This makes me want to try a short cure Saba style prep with sardines as well.

[StriperGuy]

With mackerel, for the salt cure you just pack them in kosher salt. You get a VERY intense, concentrated result at the end. Sort of a cross between salt cod, and a salt cured anchovy. I always rinsed them, and often soaked them in water before using. Very tasty. Key is to start with pristinely fresh fish.

[StevieC]

Have you ever soaked them in milk? If so is it noticeably different than soaking in water?

[StriperGuy]

Haven't tried it. And I find the concept a bit odd, though I know it is not uncommon practice.

[StevieC]

I don't deal with salt cured mackerel, but with anchovies I find that 2-3 hours in milk very effectively balances the salt concentration issue, and does seem to impart a subtle enhancement of the flavor. I have tried water with anchovies but it doesn't seem the same. I wasn't sure if it would be different with mackerel.

I am sure there is an old Good Eats episode that addresses this!! :)

[emannths]

New Deal doesn't carry them anymore--some issue with the importer IIRC.