These Boquerones Fritos (Pan Fried Anchovies) are such a traditional tapa here in the south of Spain. They are caught locally and so budget friendly to get your hands on. If you can just get past the fiddly part of preparing them, you’ll love them.
I have grown to love these tiny little fried fish. I used to always associate anchovies with something I was never ever going to eat. Well, times change. If you like any small fried fish, I promise you will love these. They have to be fresh and luckily these we caught local the day I cooked them. Can’t get a whole lot fresher than that. Served with just a squeeze of lemon and they make the perfect tapa!
So, how do you clean an anchovy? Well, if you are not familiar with cleaning fish, it isn’t as tricky as you may think. Below in the recipe you will see a brief explanation of how to fillet the little morsels. It really is as basic as that.
OR
Serious Eats who always have great explanations for stuff. They had this cute little step by step photo that could be quite helpful. Not exactly how I fillet mine, but close enough. I honestly think the way I do it is quicker and easier. I hope this helps.
In any case they make for a perfect little taps for fish loving friends. Unlike the salty anchovies that we are all accustomed to, these are much fresher and with a bit of a crunch.
On a complete off the topic note, isn’t the plate cute? A dear friend was visiting recently and bought this for me. I love it, so thanks!
Happy cooking friends!
Pan Fried Anchovies
Ingredients
- 1 lb anchovies fresh
- Flour
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Fresh lemons for serving
Instructions
- Clean and fillet the anchovies. Remove the head and clean out the inside. You can do this with your hands and it is quite easy. Inside from the top you will feel a small spine. Gently tug on it and it will come away very easily from the flesh of the fish. Repeat this for all the anchovies.
- Wash them in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Mix together the flour and salt and pour onto a large plate.
- Dredge the anchovies in the flour and arrange them on a large plate careful not to overlap them.
- In a large deep sided skillet set over medium to high heat, add about 1 cm of oil. Add as many anchovies as you can at one time without them overlapping. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Repeat for all anchovies.
- Serve with fresh lemon wedges immediately.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!
