Their Cantabrian anchovies belong to the Engraulis encrasicolus species, caught in the fishing grounds of the Cantabrian Sea during the spring coastal season. They are among the tastiest and most highly prized on the market.

Ingredients: Cantabrian anchovies, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.

Producer: M.A. Revilla (Santoña, Cantabria).

Origin: Cantabrian Sea

Quantity: 10 anchovy fillets.

Pairing: at Made in Spain Gourmet we recommend them in salads, on their own, and in tapas with crackers. A white wine such as Albariño pairs beautifully with them.

Nutritional information:

• Calories: 204 Kcal/850kJ per 100 g
• Total fat: 9.7 g
• Saturates 2.2 g
• Salt 9.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 0 g
• Sugars 0 g
• Protein 28.9 g

Best before: 12 months

Store refrigerated between 5º C and 12º C

Leave uncovered at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

Once opened, consume preferably within 24 hours and keep the anchovies covered with butter

Good anchovies have a surname: from Santoña. And also a designation: from the Cantabrian Sea. Although the anchovies come from the Cantabrian Sea, in Santoña (Cantabria) only the preserving is carried out; the merit belongs to the sea, that wonderful Cantabrian Sea, a treasure for our gastronomy, even if it is never fully appreciated as it deserves. It must be recognized that three factors contribute to the outstanding quality of Santoña anchovies: the waters of the Cantabrian Sea and their nutritional richness, artisanal fishing, and the curing and preparation process.

Anchovy fishing takes place during the months of March, April, and May. This is the best season for salting, when the fleet sets out in search of anchovies and, after returning to port, the finest specimens are selected and auctioned. The preparation is carried out between March and June, when the bocarte, as fresh anchovy is known locally, is at its optimum level of fat, flavor, and texture. Then, during sizing, they are separated by size, washed in brine, headed and gutted, and placed in barrels with salt for curing, which lasts between six and eight months. After this time, the most artisanal and delicate stage begins: hand cleaning, or sobado, to remove skin and bones and obtain large, clean fillets that will be preserved in olive oil.

The product fished off the coast of Cantabria and along the entire northern coastline is of exceptional quality, far superior to that of other areas of the world such as Peru, Argentina, Morocco, or even Croatia.

Santoña: world capital of Premium Anchovies

The fishing town of Santoña is located in the western part of Cantabria. It is known as the birthplace of Juan de la Cosa, navigator for Christopher Columbus on his voyages to America, for its natural treasures such as the Santoña Marshes and Berria Beach, and for its historic buildings, including the forts of San Martín, San Carlos, and Napoleón, as well as the church of the Virgen del Puerto. However, when someone says its name, the immediate response is: “Bring me anchovies!” Without a doubt, this product has achieved a fame that reaches beyond Spain’s borders and appears on the menus of the finest restaurants all over the world. Not a single visitor leaves Santoña without taking anchovies back home, but how are they made and brought from Santoña to the rest of the world if we are not visiting this fishing town?

In the 19th century, when salted fish was scarce in southern Italy, a group of Sicilian adventurers arrived in Santoña and some decided to stay, creating the main preserving industry in northern Spain. They brought with them a new technique, salting, focused mainly on preparing “bocarte,” as anchovy is known in its fresh form. The process involved removing the heads from the anchovies, placing them in barrels with salt, and leaving them pressed for four to six months, a stage known as maturation.

Anchovy production process

Selection

On arrival at port, the freshest fish and most suitable size are selected and purchased at the fish-market auctions.

Quality

When the fish arrives at the factory, it undergoes quality control. If it passes, it is salted in suitable containers to achieve rapid dehydration and bleeding.

“Alla vera carne”

Once salted, the fish is headed and gutted, then arranged as quickly as possible inside plastic barrels in alternating layers of fish and sea salt. It can also be pressed in salting tins with just the right amount of salt, a method known as “Alla vera carne”.

Transformation

When the salted anchovy has reached the optimum degree of maturation and the appropriate organoleptic characteristics (texture, aroma, pink color, and flavor), it is transformed into anchovy fillets. This key decision in the process is made by the master salter.

Scalding, trimming, and dehydration

The skin is removed by scalding the fish, and the belly section and tail are trimmed. The anchovy is then dehydrated by centrifuging or with cloths to obtain the correct moisture level.

Filleting

In this process, the anchovy is manually separated into its two muscle sections along the backbone, obtaining two fillets. Small bones, as well as any possible remains of skin, are removed, and the fillets are packed neatly and carefully.