After a recent exchange on Twitter between various fishermen and other lovers of fish Through the Gaps is going to post a different fish very Friday for one year - to showcase that the port lands a greater variety fo fish than any other port in the country - hopefully, there will be a recipe for each species - some courtesy of the countries top fish chefs - first up A is for Anchovy
Until recently, anchovies were seldom caught or landed in the south west. Back in 2009 a couple of Brixham boats were luck enough to pick up a few tons between them - sparking an immediate reaction in the national press citing the warming of the seas. More recently the local sardine fleet enjoyed an anchovy bonanza when very fishable shoals turned up in Cornish waters - some boats grossing well over £100,000 in a week. Breton and other U ports were restricted in their ladings owing to a bacterial scare - forcing sky-high anchovy prices which the sardine fleet were able to capitalise on - though the spree was short-lived and hasn't been repeated!
Nick Howell, from British Cured Pilchards recalls his experiences with anchovy,
"I bought 10 tonnes of fresh anchovies off Scottish purser skipper Willie Tait in the early ’80’s. He was fishing off The Lizard when phoned me at 2.00 in the morning; he had 90 tonnes on board and wanted to know whether to land any more. I was the only one to have some, the rest went for fish meal. I also have documents about drift net anchovy trials off Mevagissey in 1905. The scientists were having problems getting drift nets made with a 1” full mesh rather than then traditional inch and three quarters. At the Pilchard Works in Newlyn, we used to salt up to 110 tonnes of pilchards a year in the ’80’s - when we broke them out of the brine and packed them into casks and boxes six months later we used to find between 3% -6% anchovies mixed in. So they have been in Cornwall for a long time but, as I have found out after 50 years of merchanting, if nobody thinks there is a market for them, they aren’t landed and it takes time to build a market. By the way the European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, only lives for 2-3 years and is very fast growing if the plankton is there and is sexually mature after nine months"
As a result, most people in the UK have never eaten fresh anchovy. The salted variety seem to be something of a marmite thing - you either relish them on your pizza topping or not!
Fresh from the Bay, an anchovy caught as a by-catch from the sardine boat, Little Pearl so, if you are lucky enough to spot fresh anchovy on your fishmonger's slab here's a great way to enjoy them!...
"Pristine anchovies caught in Mount’s Bay and landed in Newlyn first thing this morning. A bycatch found in ring nets alongside MSC certified Cornish sardines, anchovies have been seen in increasing volumes in the fishery in recent years, although this is only the second time this season we’ve had any.
As ever, fishing is changeable and this year seems to have been an exception to the recent trend. These are perfect for butterflying by hand and marinading in vinegar as with the classic ‘boquerones en vinagre’ from Spain. You can get some really excellent quality anchovies prepared in this style from some of the best producers along the north coast of Spain, but most imports from elsewhere are a poor imitation of the original.
In contrast, freshly cured on the day of catch and enjoyed whilst they are still at their best, ours are pretty good! Anchovies caught in our waters easily rival those from Cantabria that fetch high prices and become the finest boquerones, so it only feels right to be doing them justice right here in Newlyn Harbour too. On the menu this week."
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