Cooking with Anchovies
Recipes with Anchovies — Morocco's Little Fried Fish and Salt-Cured Bite
Fresh anchovies (chton, or anchois) are a coastal Moroccan treat — tiny silver fish, cheaper even than sardines, fried whole and crisp by the handful or marinated in lemon, garlic and chermoula. Unlike the intense salt-cured anchovy fillets of the tin, fresh anchovies are mild, sweet and delicate, a snack to be eaten with fingers and a wedge of lemon. Morocco also cures and salts them for keeping. This guide covers the classic fresh-anchovy dishes, how to clean the little fish quickly, and how fresh and salted anchovies differ in the kitchen.
How Moroccans cook anchovies
Fresh anchovies are usually floured and deep-fried whole until crisp and golden, eaten hot with lemon — bones, tails and all, since the tiny fish soften completely. They are also marinated raw in lemon juice, garlic, coriander and olive oil (which 'cooks' them like a ceviche), sandwiched around chermoula like sardines, or added to tomato tagines. Salt-cured anchovies, meanwhile, are used sparingly as a savoury seasoning. Fresh anchovies are mild and delicate, so they need only light, bright seasoning.
The best Moroccan anchovy recipes
Fried whole anchovies — floured and crisped, eaten hot with lemon and cumin, the classic seaside snack. Marinated anchovies — cleaned fillets steeped in lemon, garlic, coriander and olive oil. Chermoula anchovy sandwiches — small fish pressed around chermoula and fried. Anchovy and tomato tagine — a light, savoury braise. Salt-cured anchovies — a few chopped into dressings and cooked salads for depth. Lemon is the constant partner.
Cleaning tiny fish, fresh versus salted
Cleaning anchovies is quick once you have the knack: pinch off the head and, with the same motion, pull it downward so the guts and often the spine come away — for very small fish, many cooks fry them ungutted. To bone one for marinating, open it along the belly and lift out the tiny backbone. Fresh anchovies are mild and sweet; salt-cured ones are intense, salty and used as a seasoning, not a main. Fresh anchovies spoil even faster than sardines, so use them the day of purchase.
Cook's tips
- Fry very small anchovies whole and ungutted — the bones soften and they're eaten entirely.
- Clean quickly by pinching off the head and pulling it down to take the guts (and often spine) with it.
- Season fresh anchovies lightly — they are mild and delicate, unlike the salty cured kind.
- Marinate cleaned fillets in lemon, garlic and coriander for a ceviche-style dish.
- Use fresh anchovies the same day; they spoil even faster than sardines.
Questions about cooking with Anchovies
Are fresh anchovies as salty as tinned ones?
No — fresh anchovies are mild, sweet and delicate. The intense saltiness of tinned anchovies comes from salt-curing. The two are used very differently: fresh as a fried snack or marinade, cured as a seasoning.
Do I need to gut tiny anchovies?
For very small fish destined for frying whole, many Moroccan cooks leave them ungutted, as the tiny insides cook away. For marinating, clean and bone them by opening the belly and lifting out the spine.
How do I clean anchovies quickly?
Pinch off the head and pull it downward — the guts, and often the backbone, come away with it. It takes seconds per fish once you have the rhythm.
Can I marinate anchovies raw?
Yes — cleaned anchovy fillets steeped in lemon juice, garlic, coriander and olive oil are effectively cooked by the acid, like a ceviche. Use very fresh fish and keep them chilled.
How fresh do anchovies need to be?
Very — they spoil even faster than sardines. Buy them bright and shiny, and cook or marinate them the same day.
Cook these dishes with a local in Marrakech
Learn to handle anchovies the Moroccan way in a hands-on cooking class, or taste it across the medina on a guided food tour.