Fresh marinated anchovies and marinated sardines

When the fresh anchovies arrive, they are salted with sea salt with a salt content between 30 to 50% of the total volume depending on the outside temperature. The salt used is "half-coarse", the "coarse" salt is reserved for the brine of the final packaging. The salted anchovies are placed in barrels where they will remain for 24 hours to 15 days, a period which will allow the brining liquid made up of water, salt and blood to be released. The anchovies are then taken out of the barrels, headed and gutted manually. Then they are put back in clean barrels, in crossed layers alternating with a layer of salt, depending on their size. The proportion of salt at this stage is 10-15%. A weight of 25 to 80 kg puts pressure on the lid so that the salt penetrates the tissues of the anchovy. The duration of maturation is approximately 3 months minimum up to 12 months, at a temperature of 15°. The salter regularly checks the maturation of the anchovies, in order to be able to work them. Only then will the conditioning stage come.

The anchovies are caught at night, then unloaded from the boat in the morning. They are washed, headed, gutted. For 3 days, the anchovies are placed in barrels in sea salt to drain and then moved by hand into a second barrel in alternating layers: anchovies – salt, arranged in a crown, head to tail, belly down. The anchovies are then covered with salt and brine, pressed and then left to mature for several months. Regularly, the master salter removes excess fat. As soon as they come out of their maturation barrel, the anchovies are washed and immediately separated from the washing water in a centrifuge. Washing and spinning are the only mechanical actions in the preparation of salted anchovies. Separated from the central bone, the anchovy fillets are arranged manually one by one and covered with oil, ready to eat.

These anchovies, marinated in spirit vinegar and preserved in sunflower oil, have firm flesh, a beautiful silvery colour and a perfectly balanced acidity. Selected by Le Delas for their consistency and organoleptic qualities, they add a fresh, briny note that is essential to the cold dishes created by chefs and caterers. Professional uses, preparation and storage: ► Buffet and cocktail party plating: Ideal for making ready-to-serve canapés, pintxos, tapas or seafood appetisers. ► Enhancing salads and starters: Perfect for garnishing mixed salads, antipasti platters or fish tartares. ► Preparation: Ready-to-use product. Drain gently as required for the recipe before plating up. ► Storage: A fresh product to be stored between 0 °C and +4 °C. Once opened, keep the product well covered with oil in the fridge and consume within 3 days.