Fresh anchovies and Mackerel

Here in Austin, Central Market usually carries whole mackerel. Lately, they have also had whole fresh anchovies. It's hard not to think of the latter as briny, oily fishy-fish, but of course they are no such thing. It's just that we tend only to have had the canned variety.

I had to Google fresh anchovies to figure out how to get them ready. I came up with a UK website on which anchovies were the "ingredient of the month." You scale the fish, cut off their heads, split them and lift out the backbone.

You can eat anchovies whole. We were served little whole fried fish in Italy in a Frito Miso, in Pisa. Even if you behead and clean them, removing the spine is optional. This is how we like them, though. Consider saving the heads and spines to make the stock for Bouillabaise.

Scaling is best done with a small knife and fingers under running water. Then off with the head. When you open the little fish, which you really can do with a long-ish thumbnail, you will find the spine lifts out easily, taking the tail with it. Rinse the nice little flat filet, and dry it on a paper towel. Incidental bones, mostly ribs, are hardly noticeable, they're so small. Just eat them.

These pretty little fish come about 35-40 per pound, so 1/4 to 1/2 pound will keep you busy for a while. Then you can make a fine appetizer or a main course. For an appetizer, dredge the filets in salted, peppered flour and fry them lightly in olive oil. Serve with a crusty bread or toast and mustard.

With fresh anchovies, for a main course, make Anchovy Spaghetti by lightly frying the filets in the olive oil before adding the other ingredients.

When I buy a whole fresh mackerel, we rub it with olive oil, salt the outside, and grill it. I then put the whole fish on the bar on a small platter and lift off the skin. We use seafood forks to slide chunks off the skeleton. As with anchovies, we eat this lunch or appetizer with a good French bread or toast and mustard.

About halfway through this snack, you will lift off the classic cartoon fish skeleton, tail and head, which again could be added to the stock for a bouillabaise.