# Homemade Boquerones with Two Summer Salads > Silvery, vinegar-cured anchovies bring clean acidity and a rich, delicate bite to a late-summer lunch. Serve them over crunchy cucumber, bitter leaves and purslane, or keep things simple with ripe yellow tomatoes, basil and their olive-oil-rich juices. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/homemade-boquerones-on-a-summer-stone-fruit-cucumber-salad - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2021-08-13 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings; choose one salad - Tags: gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, nut-free, pescatarian ![Homemade Boquerones with Two Summer Salads](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F4b34eda98be51d3d.jpg) ## Homemade Boquerones with Basil and Red Chile A refrigerated vinegar cure firms the delicate anchovies without heat. Olive oil softens the acidity, while basil and thin chile rings give the fish a fresh, aromatic finish. ### Ingredients - 1 lb cleaned, butterflied fresh anchovy fillets, skin on, from about 2 lb whole anchovies; commercially parasite-frozen for raw consumption - 2 cups white wine vinegar, 5% acidity, or enough to cover - 2 tsp fine sea salt - 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed - 1 red Fresno chile, thinly sliced - 12 basil leaves, torn ### Instructions 1. Confirm with the supplier that the anchovies have undergone parasite-destruction freezing appropriate for raw consumption. If not, arrange commercial freezing, or use equipment verified to hold -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days. An ordinary freezer of unknown temperature is not sufficient. Thaw in the refrigerator. 2. If starting with whole fish, keep them over ice while working. Remove the heads and guts, open each fish along the belly, and lift out the backbone and tail, leaving the two fillets attached when possible. Briefly rinse away blood and loose scales with cold water, then pat dry. Keep cleaned fish refrigerated. 3. Dissolve the salt in the vinegar. Arrange the fillets in a shallow glass or other nonreactive container and pour over enough vinegar to submerge them. Cover and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below. 4. Check after 4 hours and continue up to about 8 hours, until the flesh is opaque and gently firm throughout but still supple. This texture change is not a safety test; the vinegar does not replace parasite-control freezing. 5. Drain thoroughly and discard the curing liquid. If the fish tastes excessively sharp or salty, give it a very brief cold-water rinse, then pat dry carefully. 6. Layer the fish in a clean container with the olive oil, chile rings and basil. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Use a clean utensil to remove portions. ### Notes - Freshness and continuous chilling matter: anchovies can develop histamine if mishandled, and neither freezing nor vinegar removes it. Buy from a reliable supplier and keep the fish cold throughout preparation. - These remain uncooked fish. Pregnant people, young children, older adults and immunocompromised diners should avoid them. - Do not interpret the week's lunches as a validated storage period. Use the finished fish within 3 days of curing and keep refrigerated; oil does not make it shelf-stable. ## Crunchy Cucumber, Radicchio and Purslane Salad Watery cucumber and succulent purslane contrast with the rich fish, while bitter radicchio keeps the salad lively. A restrained vinaigrette leaves room for the anchovies' vinegar cure. ### Ingredients - 1 large English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into chunky slices - 4 cups mixed tender lettuce and speckled radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces - 1 cup purslane leaves and tender stems, washed well - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced - 1 cup mixed ripe cherry tomatoes, halved - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp red wine vinegar - 1/2 tsp dried oregano - to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften its bite, then drain and dry. 2. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar and oregano together in a large bowl. Add a small pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. 3. Add the cucumber, tomatoes and onion and toss. Fold in the lettuce, radicchio and purslane just before serving so the leaves remain crisp. 4. Taste with a piece of boquerón before adding more salt or vinegar. Divide among four bowls and top with the fish. ### Notes - This is one complete salad option for the batch of boquerones. Use tender baby greens if purslane is unavailable. ## Yellow Tomato and Basil Salad Ripe tomatoes release sweet juices that mingle with olive oil into a natural dressing. Their sweetness balances the anchovies without needing a separate sauce. ### Ingredients - 2 lb ripe yellow or orange heirloom tomatoes, cut into irregular wedges and chunks - 1 small shallot, thinly sliced - 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn or roughly sliced - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 1 tsp sherry vinegar, plus more to taste - to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Toss the tomatoes and shallot with a small pinch of salt and let stand for 10 minutes to release their juices. 2. Fold in the olive oil, sherry vinegar and basil. Taste the juices and adjust the pepper and acidity, keeping the salt restrained. 3. Spoon into four shallow bowls, including the accumulated dressing. Arrange the boquerones loosely around and over the tomatoes. ### Notes - This is the second salad option, rather than an additional required side. If making both presentations for four people, halve each salad recipe and divide the fish between them. ## Overall Timing / Workflow Preparing the fish ahead makes the actual lunch a quick assembly. Keeping the salad separate until serving preserves its crunch. ### Instructions 1. Before preparation day, confirm parasite-control freezing with the fish supplier and allow time for refrigerated thawing. 2. Early on preparation day, clean the fish if necessary and begin the refrigerated vinegar cure. 3. After 4–8 hours, drain the fish and transfer to the olive oil, basil and chile marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 4. About 20 minutes before lunch, prepare your chosen salad. Keep the fish refrigerated until the bowls are ready. 5. Dress the greens or fold the basil into the tomatoes immediately before plating. ## Plating Loose folds of silver-skinned fish make the anchovies the focus without compressing the vegetables underneath. ### Instructions 1. For the chopped salad, mound the vegetables in wide bowls and drape the anchovies over the center, leaving their silver skins visible. 2. For the tomato version, spoon the tomatoes and their juices into shallow bowls and arrange the anchovies in loose folds around the center. 3. Finish either version with chile rings and a small spoonful of the fish's basil-scented oil. Serve immediately. ## Leftover Path Storing the fish and vegetables separately protects both texture and freshness, and small batches avoid stretching the safe life of uncooked seafood. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate the boquerones promptly in a covered container at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 days of curing. Keep the chile and basil refrigerated with the fish. 2. Store undressed greens and chopped vegetables separately. Use dressed leafy salad the same day and tomato salad by the next day. 3. For lunches later in the week, reserve portions of the properly parasite-frozen, uncured fish in the freezer and thaw and cure a second small batch rather than keeping one finished batch all week. 4. Discard fish left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Do not rely on smell to establish safety. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.