Fish

Cantabrian Anchovy

S tier

Cantabrian anchovy is Engraulis encrasicolus from the Bay of Biscay and Cantabrian ports—especially Santoña and neighbouring towns—hand-filleted and salt-cured to a benchmark many cooks consider the world’s finest. Spring fish (costera) with high fat yield meaty, clean fillets that taste sweet-savoury rather than harshly salty when properly desalinated. Colour runs rosy to mahogany; texture is tender and almost buttery on the tongue. Serve simply with buttered bread, olive oil, and roasted peppers; melt into warm vinaigrettes; crown salads and grilled vegetables. Buy from producers who date the costera and fillet by hand—machine packs rarely match. Price is high for a reason: labour, season, and stock limits. Once opened, keep oil-covered and cold, and finish the tin while quality peaks. This is anchovy as luxury ingredient, not background salt.