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Anchovy Essence

Homemade anchovy essence from Erken 1914: anchovies are pounded and strained, the remnants boiled out with water, mace, and cayenne for half an hour, strained and mixed with the purée, brought to a boil with vinegar, and steeped 10 min. Bottled cold in small bottles and stored cold.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 351 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

From the section "Krydderier og essenser" (spices and essences, épices et essences) in the sauce chapter. Such homemade essences were the household's answer to today's ready-made sauce bases and umami additions, and were used to give body and salt to brown sauces and fish dishes.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Pound the anchovies

    Pound the anchovies in a mortar into a smooth mass and rub them through a fine-mesh sieve.

  2. 2

    Boil out the remnants

    Put what remains in the sieve into a pot with a little of the anchovy brine, the water, mace, and cayenne. Let it simmer for 30 minutes and strain off.

  3. 3

    Mix and steep

    Mix the liquid with the anchovy purée, return everything to the pot, bring to a boil, add the vinegar, and let the essence steep gently for 10 minutes.

  4. 4

    Bottle and store

    When the essence is completely cold, pour it into small, clean jars or bottles. Cork tightly and store cold and dry.

Changes from the original

Units modernized (dl, grams, teaspoon). Unclear quantities in the OCR are interpreted to the nearest reasonable measure (¼ l water, 3 dl vinegar). A hair sieve can be replaced by a fine-mesh strainer; wax over the cork has been replaced by a tight screw cap.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 351) → Modernised~84% of the text changedremovedadded
250 gr. g ansjos ¼ l. koldt vand (saltet ansjos, med lake). 2,5 dl kaldt vann. 3 del. dl god eddik ½ teske eddik. 0,5 ts støtt muskatblomme muskatblomme. 1 knivsod cayenne. Ansjosen støtes knivsodd cayennepepper. Støt ansjosen i morter, morter til en jevn masse og gni den er jevn, gnides gjennem fin haarsigt. Hvad der gjennom en finmasket sil.. Legg det som blir igjen i sigten, lægges silen i gryte, tilsættes en gryte med litt av ansjoslaken fra boksen, vand, ansjoslaken, vannet, muskatblomme og cayenne, smaakoker ½ time, siles cayenne. La det småkoke i 30 minutter og blandes sil av.. Bland kraften med ansjospuréen; denne haves ansjospuréen, ha alt tilbake i gryten, bringes til kokepunktet, tilsættes kok opp, tilsett eddiken og smaatrækker la essensen småtrekke i 10 minutter. Naar det minutter.. Når essensen er ganske koldt, haves det paa smaa krukker. Korkes, korken dækkes med smeltet voks. Opbevares paa et koldt, tørt sted. helt kald, helles den på små, rene krukker eller flasker. Kork tett og oppbevar kaldt og tørt.

Note on Modernised

Enheter modernisert (dl, gram, teskje). Utydelige mengder i OCR er tolket til nærmeste rimelige mål (¼ l vann, 3 dl eddik). Håndsikt kan erstattes av finmasket sil; voks over korken er erstattet av tett skrukork.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the anchovy essence made of?
250 g anchovies, ¼ liter cold water, 3 deciliters of good vinegar, ½ teaspoon of ground mace, and a pinch of cayenne. A little of the anchovy brine from the tin is also used.
How is the essence made?
The anchovies are pounded in a mortar until smooth and rubbed through a fine hair sieve. The remnants in the sieve are boiled with anchovy brine, water, mace, and cayenne for ½ hour, strained, and mixed with the anchovy purée. The mixture is brought to a boil, the vinegar is added, and everything steeps for 10 minutes.
How is the anchovy essence stored?
When completely cold it is filled into small jars, corked, and the cork covered with melted wax. Store in a cold, dry place.
Where does the recipe come from?
From Henriette Schønberg Erken's Stor kokebok of 1914, page 351.

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