🐟 Boquerones en vinagre
Boquerones en vinagre are fresh anchovy fillets marinated in vinegar until they turn white and firm, then dressed with olive oil, sliced garlic and chopped parsley. The taste is bright, tangy and lightly briny rather than salty like tinned anchovies. They are one of the best-known tapas in Spain, served cold on a small plate with a drink.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh anchovies
- 250 ml white vinegar or sherry vinegar
- 100 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- A small bunch of parsley, chopped
Method
- Clean the anchovies: pull off the heads, open them along the belly, remove the spine and rinse the fillets in cold water. Freeze them at −20 °C or colder for at least 7 days to make the raw fish safe from parasites, then thaw in the fridge.
- Lay the fillets skin-side down in a shallow dish, cover with the vinegar, water and salt and refrigerate for 4–8 hours until white all through.
- Drain the fillets and arrange them on a plate.
- Scatter with garlic and parsley, drizzle with olive oil and chill for another hour before serving.
How to make it lighter
- The fish itself is lean; most of the calories come from the oil, so drizzle rather than drown — 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal.
- Drain the fillets on a fork before eating to leave the excess oil on the plate.
- Pair them with tomato salad or roasted peppers for a light, high-protein tapas plate.
History
Marinated anchovies are a staple of tapas bars across Spain and are especially linked with Andalusia and Málaga, whose people are nicknamed “boquerones”. The dish is a simple way of preserving and serving the small fish landed along the Mediterranean coast.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →