Stigmatized as history’s least-popular pizza topping, the anchovy is enjoying a glorious renaissance in the hands of Mediterranean-minded Valley chefs.
Native to the Mediterranean and Black seas, anchovies (known as boquerones in Spain) have been an Old World staple since the ancient Romans fashioned their innards into garum, a fermented fish condiment. Americans have traditionally taken less kindly to the tiny foragers. Tinned in oil, they primarily serve as the butt of pizza jokes, or as salt bombs in the odd Caesar salad. The issue: Americans are typically acquainted with heavily brined brown anchovies. White anchovies, on the other hand, are not preserved in brine and have a lighter, more ethereal quality that modern Valley chefs are wielding to delicious effect.
At Tapas Papa Frita, chef-owner Joseph Gutierrez sources fresh boquerones ($12, pictured) from California. He fillets them by hand, then washes and dries the flesh before marinating it overnight in white wine vinegar. He later adds extra virgin olive oil, fresh minced garlic, Italian parsley and a little salt to taste with a lemon wedge on the side. “This recipe has been in my family forever,” Gutierrez says. “It’s really a simple item, and it’s one of the healthiest fish you can eat.” The fresh boquerones have a delicate, oceanic saltiness that stands well apart from their tinned counterparts. Gutierrez serves the boquerones with a basket of warm, spongy rolls alongside a dish of creamy aioli that also tastes dandy slathered on the anchovies.
Boquerones have Spanish roots rather than French, but “are enjoyed throughout Europe,” says Esther Noh, chef and co-owner of French dining sensation Sottise in Downtown Phoenix. Noh serves boquerones ($7) along with oysters, tiger prawns, bigeye tuna tartare, caviar and other fruits de mer as part of a seafood tower ($123), or à la carte ($7). The latter are arranged in a lovely tangle on a bed of ice. Bathed in olive oil, the dainty tinned fish are surrounded by slow-roasted and marinated cherry tomatoes strewn with bits of garlic and herbs and garnished with a lemon wedge. A liberal squeeze of lemon tempers the bold fish flavor, resulting in a tart but mild bite. Pair them with Sottise’s fromage “funk” plate and a refreshing glass of Pinot Blanc.
Pa’La chef Jason Alford uses tinned, pickled white anchovies from San Sebastián, Spain ($9). “They’re premium and a little bit larger than most anchovies,” he explains. The fish arrive cleaned, boned and packed in EVOO. He dresses them with garlic, parsley, lemon juice and a spritz of Champagne vinegar, then finishes the dish with liberal shakes of togarashi (Japanese chile powder) and grassy, fruity olive oil. It’s a simple presentation, but loaded with lively flavor that transports you to a beachside café in Spain. Alford festoons the plate with a row of round, crumbly taralli, fennel-laced crackers, to sop up the olive oil. He also makes a Caesar salad dressing with the pickled white delights. “If you try this anchovy and don’t like it, you can live the rest of your life knowing that you don’t like anchovies. These are next level.”
