Recipe Manuscript

To Make Anchovies

Name: To Make Anchovies
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Fresh anchovies (quantity as desired); 10 grams powdered bole (food-grade clay, optional or omit); 450 grams coarse bay salt (coarse sea salt, 1 pound)

1720

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Other

Original Recipe • 1720

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Anchovies

"Take your anchovies wipe them dry, mix three tea spoonfulls of powder of Bolearmoniac with a pound of bay salt, lay a little bay salt at the bottom of your pot and rub your fish with the mixture and lay them close down in a pot and put some salt upon them and tie them close, Keep them at least three months before you use them"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the sparse, instructive style typical of early 18th-century English cookery manuscripts. Quantities are rough, measurements are by weight and approximate spoonfuls, and specialized ingredients—like 'Bolearmoniac' (bole armeniac, a medicinal clay)—reflect period practices no longer common. Spelling reflects the fluidity of the time ('spoonfulls', 'tye') and directions assume a degree of kitchen knowledge. Preservation over several months would have been standard, as the concept of refrigeration did not exist.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of 1720 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of 1720 (1720)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1720

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step back to the early 18th century and discover a delightful treasury of recipes and culinary secrets, where traditional flavors meet timeless technique—a feast for curious cooks and history lovers alike.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from early 18th century England, a period when imported anchovies were considered a prized ingredient in sauces, relishes, and garnishes. Making anchovies at home was a way to preserve the catch and to create a savory condiment used in the kitchens of well-to-do households. At this time, salt preservation was one of the few effective methods for extending the shelf-life of fish. The inclusion of 'Bolearmoniac'—a type of red clay—was believed to aid preservation and improve flavor and color, though this practice would later become obsolete.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Historically, this recipe would have required a sturdy ceramic or stoneware preserving pot with a tight-fitting lid, a coarse linen or cloth for wiping the fish, and a mortar and pestle for grinding the clay and salt into a powder. The salt mixture would be applied by hand, and the pot would be sealed with parchment, a bladder or cloth, and tied securely with string to keep the contents airtight during the curing period. Fishmongers or household cooks performed this task as part of their preservation routines.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Servings

Ingredients

Fresh anchovies (quantity as desired)
0.35 ounces powdered bole (food-grade clay, optional or omit)
16 ounces coarse bay salt (coarse sea salt, 1 pound)

Instructions

To make anchovies in the style of the early 18th century, begin by wiping your fresh anchovies dry.
Prepare a curing mixture using approximately 1 teaspoon (about 0.35 ounces) of powdered red bole (substitute with food-grade clay such as kaolin, or omit if unavailable), blending it with 1 pound (16 ounces) of bay salt (coarse sea salt).
Spread a layer of salt at the botom of a sterilized ceramic or glass container.
Rub each anchovy with the mixture, then layer them tightly in the pot, sprinkling extra salt between the layers.
Finish with a generous layer of salt on top.
Cover and seal well.
Allow the anchovies to cure undisturbd in a cool place for at least three months before use.

Estimated Calories

40 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It only takes about 20 minutes to get everything ready and layer the anchovies in salt. There is no actual cooking, but the anchovies need at least 3 months to cure before you eat them. Each serving is low in calories because anchovies are small and lean.