Overview
Known as alici when fresh, anchovies are a cornerstone of Sicilian cooking. These small, silvery fish, prized for their tender, flavourful flesh, abound in the waters surrounding the island and feature in countless dishes, from the simple to the sublime.
Sicilian tradition draws a clear line between fresh alici and salted anchovies, two forms of the same fish that offer remarkably different taste profiles. Salt-cured anchovies, in particular, are a pantry essential across Sicily, beloved for their intense umami that elevates a vast array of recipes.
Seasonality
Fresh anchovies are available year-round in the Sicilian seas, but their peak season runs from April through September. During these warmer months, the fish are noticeably richer and more flavoursome—perfect for enjoying fresh or preserving in salt.
Traditional fishing employs the lampara, a distinctive nocturnal technique that uses light to attract schooling fish. Night-caught anchovies are highly prized, believed to be less stressed and therefore more succulent.
Nutritional Qualities
Anchovies pack a powerful nutritional punch. Rich in high-quality protein, they deliver around 130 calories per 100 grams of fresh fish.
They're an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for heart health and nervous system function. Additionally, they contain vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorus, and calcium—particularly when eaten with their bones.
Salted anchovies are notably high in sodium and should be savoured sparingly, ideally after thorough desalting. Despite this, they retain most of the fresh fish’s nutritional virtues, especially their omega-3 content, which withstands the salting process.
Culinary Uses
In Sicilian kitchens, anchovies are incredibly versatile and appear in an astonishing variety of dishes, making them almost indispensable.
Fresh Alici
Fresh anchovies are enjoyed in numerous ways: marinated simply with lemon, garlic, and parsley for the classic alici marinate; lightly battered and fried; grilled over charcoal; or tossed into pasta con le sarde, Palermo’s emblematic dish where anchovies mingle with wild fennel, raisins, and pine nuts.
Another beloved regional speciality is sarde a beccafico, where anchovies are stuffed with breadcrumbs, sultanas, pine nuts and orange zest, rolled up and baked to golden perfection.
Salted Anchovies
Salt-cured anchovies form the backbone of many Sicilian sauces. They enrich tomato-based dishes, season oven-roasted vegetables like artichokes Sicilian-style, and dress pasta with breadcrumbs and anchovies.
In Palermo, they are indispensable for making sfincione, where they grace the surface alongside onions, tomato, and caciocavallo cheese. In Catania, they feature prominently in some renditions of the famed pasta alla Norma.
Anchovies in Oil
Once desalted and cleaned, anchovies preserved in oil make a delightful starter, flavour salads such as the island’s insalata pantesca, or add a salty punch to pizzas and focaccias.
Preparing and Storing
Cleaning Fresh Alici
To prepare fresh anchovies, first remove the head with a gentle twist. Using your thumb, carefully slit the belly open and discard the entrails. Open the fish like a book and lift out the central spine, then rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
Desalting Salted Anchovies
Salted anchovies need soaking in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes, changing the water a couple of times to remove excess salt. Once desalted, remove any remaining bones and skin before patting dry with kitchen paper. They can then be used immediately or preserved in oil.
Storage
Fresh anchovies are best enjoyed the day they’re bought or within 24 hours if well chilled and covered in the fridge. Salted anchovies keep for several months in a cool, dry place, buried under salt. After desalting and oil-packing, they should be stored in the fridge and consumed within a few weeks.
Buying Tips
When choosing fresh anchovies, look for a glossy sheen, bright, clear eyes, and firm, springy flesh. They should smell fresh, like the sea, rather than unpleasantly fishy. The gills ought to be a vivid red.
For salted anchovies, opt for whole fish packed in tins or glass jars. Quality is apparent in their generous size and uniform rosy hue. Avoid any with blackened or oxidised patches.
A Taste of Sicily
Sicilian vernacular interestingly differentiates fresh fish as alice and its cured counterpart as acciuga, underlining how both forms are treasured in the island’s gastronomy.
Anchovies from Sicily, especially those caught in the Strait of Sicily, are renowned across the Mediterranean for their superb flavour and texture, a gift of the plankton-rich surrounding seas.
In Sicilian folklore, salted anchovies were so prized they served as barter goods or cherished gifts during festivities. Even today, they remain a celebrated emblem of the island’s culinary heritage.