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Essence of Anchovy

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United Kingdom

Known as a British recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 4 ingredients

  1. Rub
  2. a tablespoonful of cold water
  3. Catsup
  4. Anchovies
Contains Fish Read from the ingredients, not verified. Check labels.

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Put into a marble mortar ten or twelve fine mellow anchovies, that have been well pickled, and pound them to a pulp.
  2. Put this into a clean well- tinned sauce-pan, then put a tablespoonful of cold water into the mortar, shake it round, and pour it to the pounded anchovies.
  3. Set them by the side of a slow fire, frequently stirring them together till they are melted, which they will be in the course of five minutes.
  4. Now stir in a quarter of a dram of good cayenne, and let it remain by the fire a few minutes longer.
  5. Rub it through a hair sieve with the back of a wooden spoon, and keep it stopped very closely : if the air gets to it, it is spoiled directly Essence of anchovy is made sometimes with sherry, or madeira, instead of water, or with the addition of mushroom catsup.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Saucepan
  • Mortar and pestle
  • Chef's knife
  • Wooden spoon
  • Sieve