Fresh Anchovies en Saor- A Condensed History of the West

Yes raisins- of course with raisins!

The puckery refreshment of pickled things- so bracing- picks up the palate on a lazy July evening. Fish takes well to pickling, but the results are often a little bit slick in texture (some may even say slimy- I know I have). How to get that full satisfying flavor with its savory and sweet undertones, and still have the toothsome bite that characterizes the breaded and fried? Pickling the breaded and fried fish gives us both, in abundance.

Actually, everything about this dish is abundant: it's hard to find a dish that fills so many desires at once. The fish is densely meaty, the onions still a tiny bit crisp, the raisins tender and juicy. Their marinade- brightness from the lemon zest, depth from the capful of rum, savoriness from the rounds of onion and the needles of fresh rosemary and of course the fishes themselves, sweetness from the raisins and the orange and the allspice (and a pinch of sugar), zesty tang from the lemon juice and a squeeze of vinegar.

This is a powerful bunch of flavors. But your palate will not get tired quickly- for they are smoothed and wedded beautifully by the reliable generosity of fat and starch. The flour dredged fillets, crisped to golden in ample olive oil, have plenty of surface to absorb these vibrant flavors. The result is lively and complex, not assertive or complicated.

Why so few photos?- Well, frankly, fish-gutting is not a very photogenic process. It is quick and easy though, and if you're of a certain disposition, can bring a primal satisfaction. Here's a photo of the fish before we get started:

Silvery fresh anchovies- γαύρος- slightly longer than a finger.

We'll need a half pound/250 g of anchovies- some 30 or 40- to make a nice plate of them. This is not too many- the work will not be overwhelming. A really good thing about anchovies is that they rarely have any scales. If they do, they'll be clinging quite obviously here and there- run a knife along each side from tail to head, just to make sure. Little's nastier than an unexpected fish scale in the mouth. Given them all a rinse in a bin of water, then, one by one, simply remove their heads with a sharp knife, pulling the guts along with them. Another rinse, and we're done with the first part. To remove the spine easily (while punching up the flavor) soak the cleaned fish in vinegar for an hour. Then, you can slit them along the bottom down to the tail, grasp the top of the spine, and quite easily slide your fingers down either side toward the tail, removing it and leaving you with a butterflied fish, or more likely, two halves joined by the tail- which is what usually happens to me. No matter- they'll be just as tasty and not so very less impressive.

As a cm of olive oil heats, assemble the following:

a medium onion, sliced thinly

a bay leaf

8 - 10 whole allspice berries

A few leaves of fresh rosemary

a lemon- zested and juiced

an orange- zested and juiced

vinegar

a little sugar

salt

pepper

a handful of black raisins

A capful of rum (or whiskey)

Leave that browned flour in the pan to flavor the onions.

Dredge the fish fillets in flour, give them a shake, and lay them in a single layer in the sizzling oil- turning once or twice, to ensure they are evenly golden-brown. Scoop them out onto some paper towels, fry the next batch, and possibly a third, and then pour all but a bit of the oil from the pan. there will remain much browned flour in the bottom of the pan along with the oil and this is nice and tasty. Toss the bay leaf, the allspice, and the thinly sliced onions in over medium heat and give them a turn or two, letting them soften a bit. Then add the zests and juices, a pinch of sugar, a squeeze of vinegar, the rosemary, and the raisins along with the rum (it gives a nice base note and smooths the flavors). It will make a nice "koosh" sound. Add the fish and give them a gentle turn so they do not break, and arrange them with their sauce in a dish- good cold, good warm, good the next day and the day after that.

Thanks to the Moors for the raisins and the sweet/sour exotic punch, thanks to the Caribbean for the rum, and thanks to all the fisherman for the anchovies.