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.

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
Pound the anchovies
Pound the anchovies in a mortar into a smooth mass and rub them through a fine-mesh sieve.
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
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
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 A hair sieve can be replaced by a fine-mesh strainer; wax over the cork has been replaced by a tight screw cap.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.

From1914 1949 Modernised

To1914 1949 Modernised

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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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