Fresh anchovies, marinated in vinegar and salt, flavored with dill, coriander and chilli flakes: the best meze to accompany ouzo or tsipouro.
Preparation time: 45m Cooks in: 0m Ready in: 3.45 h
Ingredients
1 kilo of fresh anchovies
800 g. sea salt, coarse
400 ml white wine vinegar
1 ½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. chilli flakes, sweet or spicy
300ml olive oil (or as needed)
Method
Clean the anchovies
Step 1
Cut and discard the heads. Using your thumb, carefully open the body of each fish lengthwise from head to tail, pulling the backbone, along with the guts, without splitting the fillets.
Step 2
Wash the anchovies under running water and drain well on absorbent kitchen towel. Then divide them into 4 equal parts and do the same with the coarse salt.
Marinate the anchovies
Step 1
In a glass or plastic container with a lid that closes well, add some salt and spread to cover the bottom of the container.
Step 2
Lay the first batch of the anchovy fillets on top of the salt with the skin upwards and pour 100ml of vinegar. Repeat the procedure for the 3 remaining batches of the anchovies.
Step 3
Tightly close the lid and put it for at least 2 hours in the fridge so that the anchovies can be “cooked” in the vinegar-salt mixture.
Step 4
Remove the fillets from the mixture of the container, shake them gently to remove the salt, rinse and wipe with paper towels.
Step 5
Place the anchovies in layers in a different container, again with the skin upwards, and sprinkle each layer with coriander, dill and pepper flakes, until you run out of ingredients.
Step 6
Pour the olive oil over the fillets until they are covered, cover the container with its lid and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour, so that the anchovies can be marinated in the herbs. In the fridge they will keep for one month.
