For a combo of reasons, the smaller fish of the Mediterranean are the peoples’ preference. Over-fishing of the seas has rendered large fish expensive and reserved for the well-heeled tourist and seafood lover. If you do find a larger fish at an affordable price at the market, chances are it’s farm raised.
In Greece and in much of the Mediterranean, the smaller fish are appearing on the family table. Sardines, smelts, bogue and the feature fish of today’s dish, anchovies.
For those that have only eaten the salty, cured anchovy – I encourage you to seek and try out the fresh variety. Us Greeks like to cure them in sea salt and vinegar, they can be baked or in this instance fried. The head and guts of the anchovy are easily removed and all that’s needed here is a light dredging of seasoned flour and into the fry pan they go.
The spinal column is small, thin and actually edible. After the anchovies are fried, many will simply squeeze some lemon juice on them and eat them like one would a French Fry! Anchovies are heart-healthy and contain Omega-3 fatty acids much like the sardine and salmon. The benefit to eating sardines and anchovies is that they are lower on the food chain…no mercury. Anchovies are rich in vitamins E and D and above all, they are delicious.
Here in Greece, anchovies can be bought from the fish monger from anywhere from 3 to 8 Euros a kilo and they are in season from late Spring to late summer. Last summer whilst dining with friends, we ordered a wide array of seafood and accompanying sides and amongst the dishes was an order of “gavro tiganito” or fried anchovies. One of the guests also asked for a small glass of wine vinegar. The waiter and all of us looked perplexed with her request but we indulged.
The fried anchovies arrived and the requested glass of wine vinegar. What we all then witnessed was Gavros Baptismenos (baptized). She took a fried anchovy and quickly dunked it in the wine vinegar. Each of then tried this and loved it. The experience was akin to fish and chips with vinegar.
I love this dunking ritual and I think you will too!
Gavros Baptismenos (Γαυρος Βαπτισμένος )
1 kg. of fresh anchovies, head and guts removed
enough olive or sunflower oil to fill the pan 1/2 up (for frying)
1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
1 tsp. of garlic powder
fine sea salt
1 small glass of Greek wine vinegar
- Using a small knife, cut into the back of head and with your thumb and knife holding onto the head, bend down and slowly remove the head and the guts of the fish. Repeat to clean all the anchovies. Rinse under cold water and strain, pat dry.
- Season the anchovies lightly with fine sea salt and set aside. In large skillet, pour in enough olive oil or sunflower oil to fill the pan about 1/2 inch up. Heat the oil to about 350-360F.
- Mix the flour and garlic powder with a fork and lightly dredge the anchovies in the flour. As soon as the oil has reached the correct temperature (I use a thermometer), add the fish in batches and fry until just golden. Reserve on a paper-lines platter and season lightly with some coarse sea salt.
- Transfer to a serving platter with a side glass of wine vinegar. Quickly dunk the fried anchovy in the wine vinegar and chomp away! Serve with Ouzo or Tsipouro on ice.
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© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis
22 Responses
I know what you mean about eating the gavros like french fries. So good! Ps. stop teasing with the ouzo. Enough already!
Those anchovies look so scrumptious!
Cheers,
Rosa
Fried gavros (sardines) is one of Greece’s great delicacies, but like all oily fish, it really need to be superfresh, otherwise it has a very unpleasant fishy smell. I have never seen this dunking ritual before, but since I love vinegar I’ll try it next time I order gavros!
Sorry I meant anchovies, sardines are a whole different fish :-)
In Lebanon the reflex is to squeeze lemon quarters on the fish (or anything for that matter); I like the dunking in wine vinegar; heck I would like it dunked in wine, period.
Tantalizing and with the wine vinegar the mouth is watering. Bon appetite!
Gosh Peter, that is so clever…Fish and Chips like that. The fresh anchovies are indeed a treat!
not only does it look delicious, it also looks fun. I imagine the Ouzo makes it even more fun….
Nice Peter. I’ve never had them, but my mother served smelt often much the same way and it was fabulous.
The vinegar is genius!
what a great way to eat gavros! What a great combination !
Is there a specific month that these are available fresh – or in season? I ask this because fresh anchovies have definitely been on “my list” and last summer we were travelling along the Adriatic Sea and I thought I would be able to find some. But, could not. Where can they be found in Greece? Where else that you know of? We will eventually get to Greece and for sure will be at the Adriatic and around the area. I would love to know.
:)
valerie
Gavros (fresh anchovies) are in season from late Spring to late Summer. You should find them up to mid-September. Marida, atherina are other good small fish to try.
If more people ate sardines that looked this those, they’d be much more popular! Those are fabulous!
Whoops. I wrote sardines instead of anchovies. I need more coffee.
I love fried sardines and anchovies. I grew up having them all the time. They were so affordable and simply delicious!
I grew up loving smelts! I love this idea with the fresh anchovies. I’ve seen them on the menus in Spain but not here in France.
Fried fish and vinegar. Makes perfect sense to me!
Love deep-fried fresh anchovies. we had them butterflied with just a sprinkle of lemon juice one memorable night in Genoa, Italy, a couple of years ago, and now am always on the look-out for them in our fishmongers. Your discussion of overfishing of larger species reminded me of an episode of Futurama that was about there being only one can of anchovies left in the world because one of the show’s character’s species had loved them so much they had eaten them into extinction. Kind of ironic, eh?
I love eating fried anchovies but I never dunked them in wine vinegar before, will try that next time.
Interesting point about low mercury levels in smaller fish, never thought about that before.