Don Bocarte Cantabrian Anchovies, 100g

Don Bocarte are widely regarded as the benchmark for Cantabrian anchovies. Caught in the cold, fat-rich waters of the Bay of Biscay during the short April-to-June spring season, the anchovies are salt-cured for a minimum of eight months in traditional barrels in Santoña, then hand-filleted one fish at a time by the local sobadoras. The result is ten to twelve firm, mahogany fillets per tin, packed in Masia el Altet single-estate extra virgin olive oil.

These are anchovies you eat on their own, not anchovies you cook with. Lay two or three fillets across cold unsalted butter and good sourdough for the best 'on-toast' you'll have all year. Serve them straight from the tin with guindilla peppers, manzanilla olives and a glass of chilled txakoli for a proper Basque pintxo spread - and you'll understand why serious anchovy lovers treat Don Bocarte as the gold standard.

Recipes to try using this ingredient:

• Cantabrian Anchovies with Red Peppers, Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  

Why we love it:

• Considered by chefs and food writers as the finest Cantabrian anchovies in the world - a quiet reputation that outranks even more famous names
• Caught only during the short April-June spring season in the Bay of Biscay, when the bocarte are at their fattest and most flavourful
• Salt-cured for at least eight months in traditional barrels in Santoña, then hand-filleted one fish at a time by the local sobadoras
  

How to use:

• For the simplest and best preparation: spread a thick layer of cold unsalted butter onto toasted sourdough, lay 2 or 3 fillets across the top, and finish with a teaspoon of the oil from the tin. Eat immediately.
• For a Spanish tapa: arrange 4 or 5 fillets on a small plate with a couple of guindilla peppers and a glass of chilled txakoli or manzanilla sherry. No other accompaniment needed.
• For a Gilda pintxo, skewer one fillet, one guindilla pepper and one manzanilla olive onto a cocktail stick - the original Basque bar snack.
• Don't cook them. These anchovies are too good to melt onto a pizza or cook down into a pasta sauce

More information:

• Don Bocarte is a family-run cannery in Santoña, on the Cantabrian coast of northern Spain, where anchovies have been salt-cured the same way for over 140 years. Read our deep-dive on Don Bocarte and the Santoña anchovy tradition for the full story.
• 100g tin containing 10 to 12 hand-cleaned anchovy fillets
  
• Keep refrigerated at all times, but remove from the fridge an hour or so before using. Once opened, transfer any unused fillets and the oil into a small airtight container and use within 3 to 4 days.
• Allergens: FISH
  
• Ingredients: Anchovy fillets (FISH) from the Cantabrian Sea (Engraulis encrasicolus) (Bay of Biscay, FAO 27- CIEM Villc), Extra Virgon Olive Oil and Salt.