Favorite Anchovies

I welcome any recs on good anchovies that can be found in Chicago stores. I love a good anchovy, but find that so many of the products out there are a disappointment.

I recently found a jar at Fox and Obel that says Scalia on the top and is pretty good. I find that in this food category, you do get what you pay for, i.e. the 1 to 2 dollar range anchovies like roland etc are just not that good.

MJN:

Tinned, salt-packed anchovies of high quality can be found at a number of the Italian specialty stores around town, though in some stores they're not always in stock. I'm pretty sure I've seen them in the last year or so at Bari (Grand and May), Conte di Savoia (Taylor and Bishop), Riviera (Harlem and Belmont), Joseph's (Irving Park east of Cumberland) and Graziano's (Randolph and Peoria) -- further north also at Tenuta's in Kenosha (search in Beyond Chicagoland). The brand one most commonly sees is Agostino Recca, which is (I believe) based in western Sicily. I would give a call to some of the above stores and see a) what size tins they have and b) how much they cost.

One problem for me is that often the tins available are kind of (very) big for my purposes (though I suppose I should increase the anchovy element of my diet). This problem can be circumvented by going to my beloved Athens Market, where they always have a large tin open and you can buy however many anchovies you want. But I would guess off-hand that if you want a whole can, Graziano's would be a good bet to offer the best price. The question is whether they have a size that fits your needs.

Antonius

Yes, salt packed anchovies are the best, if a bit of a hassle. The key is to find places that sell them by the pound (i.e., out of a bigger can). Two sources that are always available are Caputo's on Harlem in Elmwood Park and the Athens Grocery Store (or whatever its called) in Greektown. Once you get the anchovies home, rinse them, fillet them--I do it with my hands under the running water--then put them in a small crock with olive oil. They will last several weeks this week. These "real" anchovies will be a revelation.

Further on Athens Market, mentioned above both by me and VI:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=9943#9943

VI's recommendation of Caputo's loose ones is a good tip to keep in mind.

I don't know if this will be of use but at the following address can be found a bunch of posts in which several of us discuss pros and cons regarding soaking of salt-packed anchovies and some related matters:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=23552#23552

Antonius

This probably isn't much help, but then, one never knows...

When TODG and I were in Collioure, we had a great time touring the anchovy places. What we discovered was that the least-modified-by-packaging anchovies came in glass jars, with each little fish neatly sardined (so to say) beautifully up against its neighbors. The jarring process, however it worked, did the least violence to the corpuscular integrity of the little guys.

Lo and behold, what to my wondering eyes should appear but these selfsame jars, ex Collioure, on the shelves at Fairway Mkt. So, I suggest that next time you're in NYC (or out on central LI) you stop by Fairway and get yourself some of these most excellent fishies.

Geo

Has anyone tried the little white anchovies in the refrigerated seafood case at Whole Foods? They look nice but I figure if I buy them I'd have to use the whole pack and I'm not sure what to do with them other then put them on crackers.

The Italian ones? Give the extras to me. Also available at Dirk's, Sam's and Bari. Spectacular, but not very much like oil or salt packed anchovies.

bibi rose wrote:Has anyone tried the little white anchovies in the refrigerated seafood case at Whole Foods? They look nice but I figure if I buy them I'd have to use the whole pack and I'm not sure what to do with them other then put them on crackers.

Bibi,

RevrendAndy brought a container that he picked up at Fox and Obel to my house last week. Spread a little creme fresh on a Carrs cracker, lay on a white anchovy and, Bob's yer Uncle, a simple, yet elegant, hors d'oeuvre.

Enjoy,
Gary

Thanks-- sounds like dinner next time I'm home alone! They're going on my list.

white anchovies are also delicious plain. Just take the container over to the sink and slurp 'em up, making sure to drip the excess oil directly into the sink. No muss, no fuss, instant clean up. So worth the high price!

Jeez folks, I can NOT believe that I forgot this: Dean and Delucca have oil-fixed anchovies for sale by the ounce. I bought some there last July. They were very good: whole fishies, not fillets. Very mild, but unmistakeably anchovy-tasting.

(Actually, I don't know whether or not there's a D & D in Chicagoland; but, if there's one in KC, how can there *not* be one (or more) there??)


Geo

(Actually, I don't know whether or not there's a D & D in Chicagoland; but, if there's one in KC, how can there *not* be one (or more) there??)

Uh, because we don't have a catalog distribution center here, and Wichita does... so no D&D. They had ambitious expansion plans about 5 years ago that were squashed by poor retail sales. Oh well....

Sorry to hear that there's no D & D there. Interesting reasons for the lack—they've been fairly successful here. The store is probably 45' x 45' in size, with about a third devoted to industrial stainless-steel wire rack stands with a good range of mustards, pastas, salsas, the usual etc. Another third is service meat and deli, with the final third for tables where one can eat the soups, sandwiches, and other deli goods. It's a well-run operation, with lots of useful high-end stuff available. Waaaay overpriced, but then... better to have it available than not.

OTOH, we don't have Trader Joe's. Aldi mkts, of course, but no Trader Joe's.

Geo

Geo wrote:Sorry to hear that there's no D & D there.

But we do have Fox & Obel, which is striving to fill that market niche, and doing quite well at it.

The anchovies in salt water (much more salt than water really) from Gustiamo are still my favorites, but they are reasonably priced only by the standards of defense contractors. I found white anchovies in a jar by Agostino Recca recently and they were as good as the "fresh" ones from Whole Foods. Regarding these white anchovies, I prefer to drain the the oil they are packed in, substitute a good olive oil, add some minced garlic and broadleaf parsley, then try to resist the temptation to eat them before they've marinated for an hour or so. The salted ones, cleaned and scrubbed free of salt, are wonderful mashed in a little warm olive oil with some bay leaf and tossed with freshly boiled new potatoes.

I've been to "chain" D&Ds in strip malls in upscale suburbs in FL and NC. Really, if that's what we are missing, we're not missing much. Much more Panera meets Williams Sonoma than anything approaching Fox & Obel or the original D&D, which I have heard is not what it used to be. I have no experience and no opinion on the KC branch, but I can see why the franchises are failing. Overpriced salsa with corn and black beans in a jar with an "artisnal" brown paper label, that sort of thing.

Antonius wrote:One problem for me is that often the tins available are kind of (very) big for my purposes (though I suppose I should increase the anchovy element of my diet).

Maybe I'm missing something - or maybe I'm committing an atrocious food safety sin - but don't these anchovies keep pretty much indefinitely in the refrigerator once you've opened the tin as long as you transfer them to a different receptacle - such as a glass mason jar - and make sure that they're nicely packed with with some fresh coarse sea salt?

Regardless, that's what I've done with the large tins and they've kept well at my modest rate of anchovy consumption.

rien

rien wrote:

Antonius wrote:One problem for me is that often the tins available are kind of (very) big for my purposes (though I suppose I should increase the anchovy element of my diet).

Maybe I'm missing something - or maybe I'm committing an atrocious food safety sin - but don't these anchovies keep pretty much indefinitely in the refrigerator once you've opened the tin as long as you transfer them to a different receptacle - such as a glass mason jar - and make sure that they're nicely packed with with some fresh coarse sea salt?

Regardless, that's what I've done with the large tins and they've kept well at my modest rate of anchovy consumption.

rien

Perhaps you are missing something, perhaps not. If you're satisfied with how they taste after long storage, then I guess not.

I agree, however, with the following statement, found on the web:

"Salted anchovies begin to lose quality as soon as the tin is opened, so it is better to buy only as many anchovies as you need from a large tin that's been freshly opened in the store. If you don't use them all within a few days, wash the salt off, place in a jar of olive oil, seal with a lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days to get the best out of them."

That's why Italian stores would so often (and still occasionally) have a large tin open, from which customers, who typically would use anchovies fairly extensively in their cooking, could buy appropriate amounts from a newly opened tin. Cheaper, oil-packed anchovies in small tins or jars have, of course, become the widely marketed and available alternative.

The salt-packed anchovies can be repacked and kept in good quality for a bit of time but hardly indefinitely, at least in the opinion of some.

JeffB wrote:I have no experience and no opinion on the KC branch, but I can see why the franchises are failing. Overpriced salsa with corn and black beans in a jar with an "artisnal" brown paper label, that sort of thing.

This was my experience with the KC branch as well, though admittedly it was with a perhaps jaded eye, as I was looking for good reasons not to move from Chicago to KC.

The prepared foods and cheese case were of special disappointment. In the former case not because I purchase prepared foods that often, but because they looked so sad...really in poor shape, especially compared to, e.g., Fox and Obel.

The cheese, a far greater concern to me, seemed much more expensive than here and also to be of pretty tired quality.

It struck me at the time that Overland Park just wasn't able to turn the goods over quickly enough to maintain quality there, so I'm surprised to hear, Geo, that they're doing well there. [As an aside, I'm always amazed at how Fox and Obel can keep as much of their prepared food looking as good as it does...I wonder how much food they have to dispose of?]

Despite my generally negative impression, I did walk out thinking, if I lived nearby, I'd much rather have such a place around than not.

The one bright spot in D&D's empire is the St. Helena store in Napa Valley. Crazy busy during the height of the tourist season, high turnover of products, and great cheese. Really. They know how to buy. As far as pricing goes there, I do believe you are correct about cheese prices - I recall the old buyer telling me he could mark things up to whatever he believed the market could bear (!!!). That being said, I don't think the margins were too much more than 50%, but they were definitely hovering between 50%-75%, with a few at 200% (a special seasonal buffalo milk ricotta cake, for example).

I was in the Overland Park store 6 weeks or so ago, and they were doing a good business in the service meat/deli, and there were lots of folks eating soup + sandwich-- they've obviously ramped up the offerings in prepared foods in the last 18 months or so.

I had to laugh at the description of jars of stuff in 'artisanal' brown paper (bag) labels. How many different kinds of corn chowder does a foodie need to have on hand, really?!

On the cheese front, I have a suspicion why their selection is so limited. We are infinitely lucky here in KC to have one of the finest cheese stores I have ever seen ANYwhere: The Better Cheddar. On the Plaza, Prairie Village, and, I think another spot or two. They've got absolutely every cheese a palate could hunger for. Last year they got some sort of national speciality food store award--first place, if memory serves. Man, they are TERRIFIC. And we are blessed.

Sure wish we had a Trader Joe's tho'. Groceries in MO can sell alcohol... TODG's family lives in Long Island, and her Trader Joe's has no wine...

Geo

Geo wrote:We are infinitely lucky here in KC to have one of the finest cheese stores I have ever seen ANYwhere: The Better Cheddar. On the Plaza, Prairie Village, and, I think another spot or two. They've got absolutely every cheese a palate could hunger for.

Very glad to know about this. I'll be sure to check it out next time I'm in town. Thanks,

Aaron

Tnx Aaron,

Sorry, I should have put up some cites. Here's a URL for a review:

http://www.kcrestaurantguide.com/better_cheddar.htm

and here's the home URL:

http://www.thebettercheddar.com/

They've just begun web sales.

Geo

Anyone know where to find these in the Wheaton/Glen Ellyn area?

Hi,

I keep a jar of anchovies in olive oil in my refrigerator. These may be there for one or two years depending on my rate of use. After a rampage of Ceasar salad meals, I ran out about a month ago. It's been needling me every few days, because I want to make puntenesca sauce and recall once more there are no anchovies.

I read through this thread and another on Keeping (and storing) of anchovies for ideas on what to buy next. I've long had anchovies in oil, though I began to consider salted anchovies instead.

Today, I was up in Tenuta's in Racine, WI. I asked two young clerks if they had any expertise in anchovies. One fessed up he's never had one, though he probably has and never realized it. Another also admitted to not knowing as well. However, I pressed asking if anyone from the store was an anchovy enthusiast. I really wanted a good recommendation. He got on the intercom and a few minutes later an older gentlemen appeared.

"Are you knowledgeable on anchovies?" "I eat them almost every day." "Perfect, you're my man." We walked over to the anchovies, which at Tenuta's has a variety in tiny tins, large tins, small and large jars from various sources.

I explained I usually buy the jarred anchovies. He advised you pay quite a premium for having it in a jar. He showed his favored anchovies from Sicilily are packed by Agostino Recca. A 310 g tin was $13.99 and a 350 g jar was $26. If you can live without the jar, you will have a better deal. I happened to have my old anchovy jar, which I could easily clean for reuse.

I inquired about the suitability of salted anchovies. He said they are a very good value as well. He said take what you need, soak it to remove the salt, dry it thoroughly and add to olive oil. The cautioned not to put the salted anchovy under running water because the meat tends to flow off. He also pointed on a common error is not drying the anchovy enough before putting into oil. Damp anchovies spoil much faster. An opened tin of salted anchovies are simply kept in the refrigerator. I inquired why wouldn't you simply transfer them into a jar, he said he uses them pretty quickly.

I pointed to a large jar of anchovies explaining it may take me one to two years to use it. When he learned how slow my pace was, he suggested I stick to the anchovies in oil and skip the salted.

I poured boiling water into my storage jar and let it dry upside down. The 310 g tin of filets were in perfect condition. They looked better than the jarred anchovies I bought in the past. Those were artfully arranged with the filets around the edge. When I went to pick them out, they would get all frayed. The tinned filets were arranged flat in my storage jar with their olive oil poured on top. I topped it off with more olive oil.

Tenuta's
3203 52nd Street
Kenosha, WI 53144
262-657-9001
http://www.tenutasdeli.com

I want to know all about anchovies.

Best canned and jarred ones?

How best to buy and keep them for home cooking/serving?

Fresh, OK, tell me what you do, please?

My favorite tin can product are the ones I get on the Greek Village Salad at Dengeos in Skokie on the corner of Main and McCormick, they are as long as my index finger, meaty, and fish-savory, not overly salty in a good oil.

I enjoy that dish at least three times a month, there.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16556159/villagesalad.jpg

If you do get hold of fresh ones, I would suggest poaching them in olive oil, salting them and serving with a little lemon. You can also preserve them in salt in the fridge for a few days. Grilled fresh anchovies are also delicious.
For preserved ones, I havent found a brand I am satisfied with yet, so this thread will be interesting.

I'll find the brand name of the ones they have at Dengeos. I was told I could find them retail at a store in Skokie.

The other day at Costco I noticed that they had white anchovies in the cooler by the smoked fish (didn't pick them up because we were on the way to meet some friends and they would have ended up in a hot car for much of the day). They were the white fillets and I'm guessing they were in vinegar. Will pick some up this week.

kenji wrote:I'll find the brand name of the ones they have at Dengeos. I was told I could find them retail at a store in Skokie.

Dengeos uses Castella brand anchovies. Good stuff. Really good.

http://castella.com/product.cfm?catid=154&sc=ANCHOVIES&scid=155

They can be found at Market Place on Oakton in Skokie.