Boquerones Recipe

Name: Paella's Mediterranean Fusions Boquerones Recipe
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 400 g fresh white anchovy fillets (or fresh European anchovies, descaled and boned); 2 tbs coarse sea salt (for curing); 250 ml white wine vinegar; 250 ml cold water; 3 cloves garlic cloves; 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbs fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tsp lemon zest (optional); 8 slices rustic baguette or country loaf, sliced 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) thick; 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil (for toasting); 1 clove garlic clove (for rubbing); 0.25 tsp coarse sea salt (to finish, optional)

Inspired by Paella's Mediterranean Fusion

Time3h 30m

Serves4

White anchovies served in Olive Oil & Garlic Toast

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Ingredients

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Boquerones (marinated white anchovies)

14 1/8 oz (400 g) fresh white anchovy fillets (or fresh European anchovies, descaled and boned)

2 tbs coarse sea salt (for curing)

1.06 cup (250 ml) white wine vinegar

1.06 cup (250 ml) cold water

3 cloves Garlic cloves

1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbs fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Garlic olive-oil toast

8 slices rustic baguette or country loaf, sliced 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) thick

2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil (for toasting)

1 clove garlic clove (for rubbing)

1/4 tsp coarse sea salt (to finish, optional)

Method

Boquerones (marinated white anchovies)

Clean & cure (if using whole fish)

If you bought whole anchovies: rinse, remove heads and guts, open like a book and remove the backbone so you have two fillets per fish. Rinse briefly and pat dry. If you bought ready filleted white anchovies, proceed to the next step.

Salt cure

Lay the fillets skin-side down in a nonreactive shallow dish in a single layer. Sprinkle the coarse sea salt evenly over the flesh. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes. This firms the flesh and draws out excess moisture.

Rinse & prepare marinade

After curing, gently rinse each fillet under cold running water to remove the salt, then pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine the white wine vinegar and cold water.

Marinate

Place the fillets in a single layer (or slightly overlapping) in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Pour the vinegar-water mixture over them so they are completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour — the vinegar will turn the flesh opaque and 'cook' it. For slightly firmer texture, marinate up to 90 minutes; do not exceed 2 hours to avoid over-acidifying.

Drain & dress

Carefully lift the fillets from the marinade and lay them on paper towels to remove excess liquid. Finely mince the 3 garlic cloves. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, chopped parsley, freshly ground black pepper and lemon zest (if using). Place the fillets in a clean shallow jar or dish in layers, sprinkling a little of the garlic-parsley mixture between layers.

Cover with olive oil

Pour the 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil over the layered fillets until they are just covered. Press gently so no air pockets remain. Seal the jar or cover the dish and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to allow flavors to meld. The boquerones will keep refrigerated, submerged in oil, up to 5 days.

Serve

Bring the marinated anchovies to cool room temperature (15–20 minutes) before serving so the olive oil is soft and the flavors are more pronounced. Taste and adjust with a light grind of black pepper or a few drops of lemon if desired.

Garlic olive-oil toast

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F) or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Brush one side of each bread slice lightly with the 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil. Place oiled side up on a baking sheet or onto the hot grill pan.

Toast in the oven for 6–8 minutes, or grill 1.5–2 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. Remove from heat.

While still warm, rub the untoasted/top side of each slice with the reserved garlic clove (cut the clove in half and rub the cut surface over the warm bread) to impart a gentle garlic aroma. Sprinkle lightly with the 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt if desired.

Assemble taps: place 1–2 boquerones on each toast slice (drain excess oil or spoon a little of the flavored oil over the toast if you like). Garnish with a few flecks of chopped parsley and an extra grind of black pepper.

Serve immediately as an appetizer. Leftover marinated anchovies should be kept refrigerated, submerged in oil, and used within 5 days.