046Marinated anchovies

Method

Northern Aegean coastal style. Serve straight from the oil with crusty bread, olives, and tsipouro.

You will need

• Shallow non-reactive glass or ceramic dish
• Kitchen paper
• Sharp paring knife

1. Clean the anchovies by pinching off the heads, running a thumb along the belly to remove the entrails, and gently prising out the spine while leaving the two fillets joined at the tail. 30 min Ready when: butterflied fillets rinsed clean under cold running water
2. Lay the butterfly fillets flat in a non-reactive glass or ceramic dish and sprinkle evenly with the coarse sea salt. 5 min Ready when: fillets are uniformly salted
3. Pour the white wine vinegar over the fillets to submerge them completely, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until the flesh turns milky white. 150 min Ready when: fillets are completely opaque and firm to the touch
4. Drain the vinegar thoroughly and gently pat the fillets dry on kitchen paper without rinsing. 5 min Ready when: excess vinegar absorbed and fish dry
5. Layer the cured anchovies in a clean shallow container, scattering the sliced garlic, chopped parsley, and chilli flakes between the layers. 5 min Ready when: garlic and herbs distributed evenly among fish
6. Pour enough extra virgin olive oil over the top to completely submerge the anchovies, cover, and let rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. 60 min Ready when: fillets fully covered in aromatic oil

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Make ahead and storing

Best prepared 1 day ahead to let the garlic infuse the oil.

Keep completely submerged in olive oil in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Substitutions

• fresh sardines (sardeles) for very fresh anchovies. Scale down tiny fresh sardines; they will take an hour longer in vinegar due to their thicker flesh.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the fish in vinegar for too many hours or overnight. The acid will disintegrate the delicate flesh, making the fillets mushy rather than pleasantly firm.
• Leaving fillets exposed to air in the storage container. Any parts not submerged beneath olive oil will oxidise, darken, and spoil.

Regional variants

• Kavala style, often seasoned with fresh wild oregano and whole pink peppercorns

About the dish

Marinating fresh small oily fish like anchovies in sea salt and vinegar is an ancient coastal method of preservation that requires no heat. Found in fishing harbours across northern Greece, Lesvos, and Chalkidiki, gavros marinatos is the premier accompaniment to iced tsipouro or ouzo. The acidity of the vinegar denatures the fish proteins, turning the dark flesh an opaque ivory white while firming its texture.

Found in North Aegean, Macedonia, Thrace, Ionian Islands. Cooked for everyday, summer, lent.

Cousins elsewhere

• Alici marinate (Italian). Virtually identical preservation method common across southern Italy and Sicily.
• Boquerones en vinagre (Spanish). Spanish version cured with vinegar and preserved under oil with minced garlic and parsley.
• Hamsi marin (Turkish). Black Sea and Aegean cold-cured anchovy preparation served as a meze.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

306 kcal · protein 20.6 g · fat 23.2 g (saturated 3.8 g) · carbohydrate 1.3 g (sugars 0.2 g) · fibre 0.1 g · sodium 3339 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Northern Greek psaro-taverna meze tradition, pairing sharp cold-cured oily fish with anise spirits..