Spanish Food - How To Prepare Boquerones.

Whilst on your travels in Spain and pausing to take a breath from site-seeing, you have surely experimented with "tapas" at a welcoming bar.

If this is the case, it is more than likely that you have come across the small, tasty filleted fish, preserved in olive oil, sliced garlic and chopped parsley, and highly popular throughout Spain. This delectable dish is usually known as "boquerones" but, depending on the area, can also be called "anchoas".

Boquerones are small, fresh anchovies. Accompanied by crisp, fresh Spanish bread, a glass of ruby-red wine or refreshing Asturian cider, they are a delight to eat. Moreover - as with many traditional Spanish dishes which comprise the renowned Mediterranean Diet - they are extremely healthy.

Like its friend the sardine, the anchovy is an oily fish, packed full of proteins and minerals, protecting against heart disease, and "good" for cholesterol. What´s more, in many areas of Spain - in particular the Mediterranean coast - fresh anchovies are extremely cheap.

On first coming to Spain, I happily enjoyed many tapas of boquerones, completely unaware of one fact ... all those little anchovies I had eaten were not cooked! For a moment, I deeply regretted asking my Spanish neighbor, Carmen, how to make them!

Fortunately, Carmen went into immediate action and saved the day! She frog-marched me to the local fishmongers, bought a kilo of the little fish, took me home and showed me "her way" of preparing them. They were so delicious that I quickly recovered my passion for boquerones and have been enjoying them ever since!

Methods for preparing boquerones tend to vary slightly from family to family. However, the basic principles are always the same. You first have to clean and fillet the fish, which is simple enough, but rather tedious until you get the hang of it.

Next, you soak the fillets, either in white wine vinegar or a mixture of half vinegar and half water. The vinegar will clean and bleach the fish and also soften any remaining little bones. Some people sprinkle the fish with salt; others (myself included) feel that the fish is salty enough already.

The fish has to be left for a good few hours soaking in the vinegar. Again, this tends to vary, with some Spaniards leaving them overnight in the fridge and others just waiting a couple of hours. Also, some families change the vinegar/water-and-vinegar mixture once during this process, whilst others don´t bother.

Once you have thrown away the vinegar, the bleached fillets are covered with a good quality virgin olive oil, which will preserve them. You can add as much, or as little, sliced garlic as you wish, plus freshly chopped parsley.

So ... here is the actual recipe.

BOQUERONES

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo fresh anchovies.
  

• White wine vinegar.
  

• Virgin olive oil.
  

• Garlic.
  

• Parsley.
  

• Salt (optional).
  

 Linda Plummer

More Articles 

What Is Organic Food And Should I Buy It? - Gray Rollins
Organic food is the food derived from animals and plants that have been grown and raised in accordance with the strict guidelines associated with government’s definition of the term, “organic.” In order to be certified as an organic food, food...

Eating Correctly Using The Food Groups - Nitin Jain
Eating properly can help keep you healthy and fit. As long as you eat nutritionally your overall life will be more rewarding. Learning to eat nutritionally will keep you fit and usually you will be able to keep the proper weight for your size....

Food - Storage Tips - Susan Leoni
Here are some storage tips for food that will pay you big dividends in money and good flavor in the long run. A principle: promptly unpack groceries and store perishables as directed. Fresh vegetables: Wash, drain, and dry greens; wrap or put in...

Fast Food and You - Phyllis Wasserman
If you're dieting, chances are you don't want to eat in a fast food restaurant. But now they offer healthy alternatives, so you can choose a quick, healthy lunch or dinner. Most of the fast food chains, like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Wendy's...

Food Retailing or Food Entertainment? - John Stanley
Food retailing is going through a global revolution. On one side of the equation companies such as Walmart, Aldi and Liedl are gaining market share as local commodity food retailers. Where does this leave the independent food retailer and...

Seafood And Ten Of Its Health Benefits - Coleen Panetti
Who says there is something fishy on fish oils, shellfish, and other seafoods when it comes to health benefits? That is absolutely a fishy story. Nowadays, people have come to realize the importance of seafoods in our diet. Various studies and...

Spanish Food: How To Make The Perfect Paella - Linda Plummer
Looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without doubt, the best-known is going to be the prodigious paella ... that tasty, adaptable, gregarious dish famed throughout Spain and the World. And, what an impressive choice of recipes exist for...

rm Seafood Restaurant at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas - Carolyn Proctor
rm Seafood Restaurant in Las Vegas as seen in Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com Read the entire feature free with photos at: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/food/vegas/rmseafood/rmseafood.html Valentine's weekend...

Avoid the Risk of Food Poisoning this Summer - Nicky Pilkington
Are you looking forward to a wonderful summer? Beaches, warm weather and of course - BBQ's. Along with the relaxing atmosphere and ease of preparing a BBQ dinner or picnic for friends and family come some well known risks. You are likely...

Spanish Food - How To Make Spicy Gazpacho Soup. - Linda Plummer
Home-made soups are so good for you - all that nourishing stock and chock-a-block full of vitamins and minerals. But ... who on earth could face boiling bones for hours on end during the scorching Spanish summer weather, not to mention ...