Anchovy salting factories appeared along the Costa Brava from the 19th century, an industry linked to the Iberians, Greeks and Romans. Two centuries later, L’Escala is the municipality with the most salted anchovy producers, although at the beginning of the 20th century Cadaqués had the largest factory ever: Casa Pont, which even manufactured barrels containing anchovies packed in brine, to be exported to America and throughout the Mediterranean.
Painstakingly cured, carefully aged and delicately handled, the anchovies are a bright reddish, mahogany colour, and have an aroma of fresh fish, with a seductive, iodized flavour that will satisfy the most sophisticated palate.
The best fillets need very little doing to them. They are like great wines: on their own or accompanied. Seasoned with olive oil and pepper. Served on a slice of toasted coca rubbed with ripe tomato and with Empordà oil drizzled over it, accompanied with cool local wine; in a summer tomato salad, or to accompany a simple dish of boiled rice or pasta.
Anchovies with the 2016-2017 Girona Excel·lent seal
Anchovies in salt.
The sixth generation of a company founded in 1847 preserves the spirit and history of their forebears in these jars of anchovies in brine.
Anchovy fillets in oil.
Traditional expertise summarised in a jar: salted anchovies matured for a minimum of six months, desalted, filleted and stored in olive oil.
Olives stuffed with anchovy fillets.
Stuffing Grossal olives individually with anchovy fillets is a traditional skill that calls for a great deal of patience, and results in an ideal aperitif.
Category: anchovies, unique specialities
Company: Fill de J. Callol Serrats, SL
Magdalena Sureda Premium Gran Reserva Anchovy.
The best large anchovies from L’Escala, with a firm, oily texture are selected one-by-one. They are packed in special Blavis glass jars, as recommended by Josep Pla, and rolled so that they can be eaten at the table directly from the jar, as suggested by Ferran Adrià.
Category: anchovies, unique specialities
Company: Anxoves de l’Escala – M. Sureda, SA
The anchovy
sampling jury.
Jordi Jacas
Chef at El Molí de l’Escala restaurant
Joan Benítez
Teacher and amateur anchovy producer
Lluís Fernàndez
Chef at Els Pescadors restaurant, Llançà
Lluís Bofill
Food journalist
Raül Quadres
Lecturer at the Girona School of Hotel Management and Tourism
