[Sca-cooks] Memorable Medieval Special Christmas Menu

[Donna Green]

Thanks for the kind words Eduardo, but actually they were sardines, not anchovies :-) ... but I suppose you could do the same thing with anchovies. Anyway, the curing process I uses is as follows:
 
Get fresh sardines from the local fish monger.
Cut the heads off the fish.
Slit them down the belly and remove the guts ... no more gross than a messy sneeze :-)
Clean the fish under gently running water to remove all bits of blood, etc.
Put the fish in a glass dish and salt with kosher or other large crystal salt. 
Turn the fish and salt the other side ... not coated in salt, but a good heavy dose.
Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for two days.
Carefully pull the spine out of the fish ... most of the rib bones should come with the spine.
Use your thumb to separate the fish meat from the skin.
You should end up with two fillets, but if you aren't expert yet, it is OK if you end up with smaller shreds of meat.
But the fish bits in a sealable container and cover in olive oil. You can add herbs to the oil to flavor the fish ... a bay leaf, some peppercorns, a juniper berry or two, etc.
Keep in the fridge. This will solidify the oil. Just make sure the fish is completely submerged. 
Remove the fish bits as needed.
 
As for "white anchovies" are these boquerones? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boquerones_en_vinagre
These can be found in many shops (at least here in San Francisco) and they are quite tasty.
 
Juana Isabella
 
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:57:17 -0800
From: David Walddon <david at vastrepast.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Memorable Medieval Special Christmas Menu
Message-ID: <1B61240A-917D-44ED-A548-302A43346EEB at vastrepast.com>
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Juanna Isabella (Gracious Duchess and Food Godess) served me her homemade cured anchovies. 
I am sure they were from fresh anchovies. 
They were DELICIOUS! 
She is AMAZING! 
She might share the recipe and the source of the fish. 
Eduardo

On Dec 16, 2011, at 9:45 PM, Susan Lin wrote:

> we've had fresh anchovies.  At restaurants - here in Colorado and in
> France.  I've never prepared them myself.  Whole Foods might have them.
> Look for "white anchovies".  Don't know if there are others.
> 
> Shoshanah