Acciughe fritte (Fried Anchovies)

I know what you think.

Oh dear, now we have this salty, greasy fish. WRONG!

Fried anchovies are a delicacy of the Mediterranean cuisine, very tasty and if you dare to treat the fish properly, a feast for the whole family.

Don't be afraid of the fish

Fried anchovies, or better known as gilded and fried anchovies, is a second course of the Campania tradition, simple to make but delicious to eat preferably hot.

in Neapolitan: "alici ndurat e fritt"

The anchovies are a type of blue fish and can be found on the market at a low price. There are several recipes for the realization of this dish, but for a perfect gilding of the anchovies it is recommended to always make the classic recipe. The gilded and often fried anchovies can also be found in the Neapolitan seafood cook.

Remember that "anchovies ndurat and fritt" should be eaten hot and maybe with a splash of lemon.

Ingredients

For 4 persons:

1 kg of fresh anchovies

100 g of all purpose flour (gluten-free if needed)

100 g of corn starch

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika

seed oil for frying

2 lemons

Preparation

Clean and open the anchovies in running water and then dry them well. By washing I mean: Remove the head and the intestines, especially the bowels. (My mother also removes all bones on this occasion)

In a large dish, mix flour, corn starch, salt, pepper and paprika.

Flour the anchovies and fry them in a pan with very hot oil.

Season with salt and serve the hot anchovies in a heated serving dish decorated with lemon slices.