Description
The Anchois de Collioure PGI are fresh Engraulis encrassicolus anchovies, belonging to the Engraulidae family, Clupeiformes order and Osteichthyes class.
Production Area
The production and processing area of the Anchois de Collioure PGI is in the town of Collioure located in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The fishing takes place between the Gulf of Lion and the Gulf of Gascoigne and off the coast of Brittany.
Production Method
The fresh anchovies taken to the wholesaler's salting plants are salted and placed in brine until the salt penetrates into the meat. After salting, the fish are removed from the tanks and selected, headed and gutted. They are then placed in tanks in layers divided by sea salt in order for the fish to assume the characteristic colour, consistency and flavour. The Mediterranean anchovies are seasoned for at least 100 days while the Atlantic anchovies are seasoned for 120 days. Once the seasoning has reached the ideal stage, the anchovies are then desalted. The fish for filleting are then skinned with lukewarm and cold water, drained in holed cases, and finally filleted by hand. The anchovy fillets that will eventually be kept in oil are dried and hand selected. They are then conditioned in glass or plastic containers and filled with brine and sea salt or vegetable oil.
Appearance and Flavour
Anchois de Collioure PGI are dark brown in colour, have a soft consistency and characteristic flavour.
History
The reputation enjoyed by the Anchois de Collioure PGI in France and Europe dates back to the Middle Ages, when the preservation of salted anchovies was already highly developed in the Roussillon. The 140 Catalan anchovy fishing boats of Collioure, already in use in 1800, are a further testimony to the thriving nature of this activity. Over the years, despite the crisis, the skills and tradition of the artisans from Collioure has been handed down through generations to the salters of today.
Gastronomy
Anchois de Collioure PGI are stored in their original packaging in the refrigerator or a cool place. Anchovies have the capacity of stimulating the appetite and helping digestion. The Romans prepared a smooth sauce that they called garum with these small pressed fish cooked in brine and enriched with vinegar and chopped parsley, which is very similar to English anchovy sauce. Another typical dish is the anchovy pissalat, which is made by passing the brine marinated anchovies through a sieve, and seasoned with a little brine and flavoured with cloves. Another dish is anchovy butter, known in Provence as anchoïade, which is made by crushing the anchovy fillets after desalting them and adding four times their weight in butter, superb when served on canapés as an appetizer and ideal with grilled meats and fish.
Marketing
The product is sold as Anchois de Collioure PGI, and marketed as salted anchovies, anchovy fillets in brine and anchovy fillets in oil.
Distinctive Features
The specific feature of Anchois de Collioure PGI lies in the traditional artisanship of the producers, who skilfully select and separate the anchovy fillets by hand, then place them to dry on absorbent kitchen paper, without using any type of mechanical means.
