In Campania's seaside villages, whenever we open a larder we often find a jar of salted anchovies. It is a simple, age-old preserve, born to make the catch last, and it still gives character to countless dishes today. Here is how they are made and why we love them so much.
A preserve born of the sea
Anchovies, or alici, are the quintessential oily fish of our gulfs. Precisely because the catch is plentiful in some months and scarce in others, fishermen learned centuries ago to preserve them with salt. That way, when bad weather kept the boats ashore, there was always something tasty to put on the table.
The Campania Region has included salted anchovies in its list of traditional agri-food products (PAT), among the fish preparations. The same entry also features a spicy version, alicette piccanti. The production area includes the coastal municipalities of the provinces of Naples and Salerno, where fishing has always been an important activity.
How they are made
The method has stayed the same over time, for reasons of both preservation and flavour. According to the regional listing, the steps are these:
- the fresh anchovies are first kept under salt for about two days;
- they are then cleaned thoroughly;
- they are salted a second time, in layers;
- they are covered with weights, so that they are pressed and release their liquids;
- finally they are left to mature.
For the spicy version, ground chilli pepper and garlic are added. The result is an anchovy with firm, pinkish flesh and an intense flavour.
The anchovies of Cetara and colatura
The town whose name is linked to anchovies more than any other is Cetara, on the Amalfi Coast. Here salting has also given rise to a special product: the liquid the anchovies release as they mature, collected and filtered, is the famous Colatura di alici di Cetara, now protected as a DOP. In the Cilento, meanwhile, there is another historic fishing and salting technique, the one we describe in Menaica anchovies.
How to use them in the kitchen
Before using them, we suggest rinsing them under running water, removing the backbone and leaving them for a few minutes in water or a splash of wine to soften the salt. They are perfect on bread with a drizzle of oil, on pizza and in traditional sauces, from escarole to puttanesca.
Where to taste them and what is nearby
You will find them in the fishing villages along the coast: Cetara, Vietri sul Mare, Salerno, and the towns around the Gulf of Naples. A few kilometres from Cetara, Vietri ceramics await you. For an overview of the region's protected products there is our guide to Campania's DOP and IGP products; for the province read Salerno and its surroundings.
Sources: Campania Region, PAT entry “Acciughe sotto sale”; Campania Region, PAT list of fish preparations.
Top photo (Cetara): Jensens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
