Anchoïade

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Anchoïade is Provence’s purest expression of the anchovy—a thick, rustic paste of salt-cured anchovies pounded with garlic, olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar that serves as a dip, spread, and universal seasoning. Unlike tapenade (which centres on olives) or pissalat (which uses fermented anchovies), anchoïade features the anchovy front and centre, its salty, umami-rich intensity tempered only by garlic and good oil. The traditional preparation uses a marble mortar and wooden pestle: 200g salt-packed anchovies (rinsed, filleted, and patted dry) are pounded with 4 crushed garlic cloves until a rough paste forms, then olive oil is drizzled in gradually while pounding continues, creating a thick emulsion—not smooth like mayonnaise, but textured, with visible flecks of anchovy and garlic. A tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a grind of black pepper finish the paste. The mortar technique is superior to the food processor because the pounding ruptures cell walls differently, releasing the anchovy’s flavour compounds more fully while maintaining the rustic texture that defines the preparation. Anchoïade is served three ways in Provence: as a dip for raw vegetables (crudités—radishes, celery, fennel, peppers, endive), spread on toast rounds and grilled (tartines d’anchoïade), or used as a seasoning paste rubbed on lamb, fish, or roasted vegetables before cooking. The preparation is ancient—it descends directly from the Roman garum tradition, and Provence’s coastal cities have been producing anchovy preparations since antiquity.

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