Cantabrian Anchovies 00 Special Selection, Casa Santoña

Technical details:

Characteristics: Net weight: 115 g // Drained weight: 80 g / 8 fillets.

Ingredients: Anchovies (FISH) (Engraulis Encrasicolus), sunflower oil, and salt.

Producer: Casa Santoña

Location: Guadarrama (Madrid)

Nutrition table for white tuna (per 100gr, drained)

• Energy value 192 Kcal
• Fat 6.75g
• Carbohydrates 7.44g
• Protein 25.30g
• Salt 9.10g

Allergens: may contain traces of fish

Store refrigerated

Best before: 9 months after production
Pairing:

For Casa Santoña 00 Anchovies at Made in Spain Store, the ideal pairing combines intense, savory flavor with fresh, balanced notes, enhancing their gourmet character. Here are a few suggestions:

Wines

• Albariño or Verdejo: fresh, fruity whites with good acidity that contrasts with and cleanses the palate after each bite of anchovy.
• Cava Brut or Champagne: the bubbles balance the anchovy’s saline intensity, turning them into a sophisticated appetizer.
• Fino or Manzanilla: Spanish classics that enhance the marine flavor and add dry, elegant notes.

Accompaniments

• Artisan bread: toasted or fresh, it serves as a neutral base that highlights the texture and flavor of the anchovy.
• Grated tomato and extra virgin olive oil: the classic Spanish “pan con tomate,” which harmonizes with the anchovy’s saltiness.
• Olives and nuts: contrasts in texture and flavor for a complete gourmet appetizer.

Serving ideas

• • On toast with butter or EVOO, accompanied by a few drops of lemon or capers.
  • In gourmet salads, combined with cherry tomatoes, arugula, and a touch of light vinaigrette.
  • As a standout ingredient in white pizzas or pasta dishes, adding umami and depth.

• On toast with butter or EVOO, accompanied by a few drops of lemon or capers.
• In gourmet salads, combined with cherry tomatoes, arugula, and a touch of light vinaigrette.
• As a standout ingredient in white pizzas or pasta dishes, adding umami and depth.

Santoña: world capital of Premium Anchovies

The fishing town of Santoña is located in the western part of Cantabria. It is known as the homeland of Juan de la Cosa, Christopher Columbus’s navigator on his voyages to America (not the comedian), for its natural treasures such as the Santoña Marshes or Berria Beach, and for its historic buildings, such as the forts of San Martín, San Carlos, and Napoleón, and the church of the Virgen del Puerto. However, when someone says its name, one response immediately comes to mind: Bring me anchovies! Without a doubt, this product has achieved fame that extends beyond Spain’s borders and can be found on the menus of the best restaurants around the world. Not a single visitor leaves Santoña without taking anchovies back home, but how are they made and sent from Santoña to the rest of the world if we do not visit the 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 canning industry in northern Spain. They brought with them a new technique, salt-curing, focused mainly on preparing “bocarte,” as anchovy is known at the source. This involved removing the heads from the anchovies, placing them in barrels with salt, and leaving them pressed for between four and six months, a process known as maturation.
Anchovy production process

Selection

On arrival at the port, the freshest fish and the most suitable size are selected, then 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 carry out 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 salt from sea saltworks. It can also be pressed in salt-curing tins with just the right amount of salt, known as “Alla vera carne”.

Transformation

When the salt-cured anchovy has reached the optimal 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 centrifugation 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, producing two fillets. The small bones, as well as any possible traces of skin, are removed, and the fillets are neatly and carefully packed.

Pairing