Helmut’s question was about a Spaghetti dish with a „fishy sauce“ which he liked so much. It’s a specialty from Cetara at the Amalfi coast. Here are a few impressions of this town and the famous „Italian sauce“.
Cetara, a picturesque fishing village and a gastronomic hot spot.
It has been an important fishing centre since medieval times and today its deep-sea-tuna fleet is considered one of the Mediterranean’s most important. At night, fishers set out in small boats armed with powerful lamps to fish for anchovies.
Garum jugs in a Pompeii museum.
Recently, locals have resurrected the production of what is known as „Colatura di Alici“, a strong „anchovy essence“ believed to be the descendant of Garum, the Roman fish seasoning, also called „Colatura – Italy’s Umami in a bottle“.
One example of „Italy’s Umami in a bottle“. There are dozens different ones. At Amazon they are offered (like the here shown one) between US$25,– and US$80,– for a 100ml bottle. Liquid Gold ??
Around in Cetara.
The entire town of Cetara is very easy to walk – maybe 10 minutes max. We left our motor home outside Salerno and rented a scooter. Highly recommend using a scooter to visit the rest of the Amalfi Coast. The roads are narrow and with a car, many times you get stuck behind buses that get stopped many times with alternating traffic. Many places there is no parking for cars (but parking for scooters) or it’s a 10,– euro parking fee, which you can avoid with a scooter.
Cetara is relatively „flat“ against most other townships at the Amalfi coast. Within 10 minutes one can walk from one end to the other. Click on pic for a better view.
Hotel in Cetara.
This property is 2 minutes walk from the beach. Albergo Diffuso offers accommodation in various locations in Cetara’s historic centre, a most unusual hotel style, but very effective. Rooms come with free WiFi, a flat-screen TV and private bathroom. Some units are complete with a balcony/terrace or a kitchenette.
Albergo Diffusi in Cetara, just a few steps down to the beach.
Nice place for everybody who doesn’t want to stay in a touristy place like Amalfi. But anyway with a short ride you are in all the interesting places. The room is nice with everything you need. There are some really good tiny restaurants, like „Pane e Coccos“ which calls them self specialized for tuna.
Expedient and very clean rooms and a nice bathroom joining.
To See in Cetara.
Chiesa San Pietro Apostolo.
Torre di Cetara.
Spiaggia Lannio.
In wintertime empty and a wonderful view into the bay of Salerno. Summertime a few tourists.
Seafood in Cetara.
Cetara is one of the top places to get tuna and anchovies in the world. Which means lots of very fresh seafood at the restaurants. I can highly recommend „Alici Come Prima“. It’s little, all the seating is outside, and it’s open for both lunch and dinner. The plates are simple but fantastic quality and freshness.
Some pasta dishes.
The Colatura di Alici is the quintessence of flavor, or better, of the Umami, as we define today. Either you love it or hate it, but to be able to appreciate it you need to know how to use it. It should be used strictly raw, so never heat it in the pan and don’t use salt.
Scampi on ricotta filled cannelloni.
One of its ancestors is represented by the Roman garum, a creamy fish sauce obtained from the maceration of small fish and large fish, cut into pieces. It seems instead that Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages invented a product more similar to the current one.
Today, the Colatura di Alici is presented as an amber-colored liquid with a very intense odor, but if used sparingly and with wisdom, it will give a dish a unique marine flavor.
Fishing boats in Cetara. Notice, in the left part of the picture, the strong lamps in frames. These are used at night to catch anchovies.
Making Colatura.
We entered Neptune, one of the many small similar companies in Cetara, where we learned about the method they use to make Colatura. The anchovies used are fished in the Gulf of Salerno in spring when they have a low fat content and suitable for salting.
From 29 June, the feast day of St. Peter, to mid July, small crews take to the sea at night on boats which dot the sea with their lights: this is known as “lampara” fishing. Attracted by the plankton which becomes phosphorescent, the anchovies are trapped in the nets.
The anchovies, fresh and not too big, are beheaded and eviscerated and placed with the head-tail technique in the terzigno, a chestnut container 1/3 of a large cask, and covered with fine salt.
Cleaning anchovies, not a nice job to dream about.
Once the layers of salt and anchovies are finished, the tortie is closed with a lid (called the tompagno) above which a stone is placed.
The natural maturation of the anchovies combined with the pressure exerted by the stone will bring out a liquid on the surface.
Salting the anchovies in a chestnut barrel.
A small hole is made at the base of the terzigno, in such a way that the liquid that was on the surface dripped drop-wise, being filtered by the layer of anchovies. Once the tapping is finished, it is immediately bottled and the Colatura is ready to be used.
After 18 to 24 months in their barrels, they proceed with tapping. Right, a bottle of Nettuno’s Colatura tradizionale, 200 ml for about 48,–euros.
The most traditional recipe.
Usually consumed for Christmas Eve dinner, is as simple as it is good:
Prepare in a salad bowl the raw dressing with two tablespoons of oil and half a tablespoon of anchovy sauce (Colatura) per person, raw garlic, a pinch of chilli and parsley. Cook the spaghetti in NOT salted water, drain it and pour it directly into the salad bowl, stir and serve. For lovers of flavor, the amount of leaking can be increased.
Spaghetti with Colatura di Alici, chilli, parsley and garlic.
This is truly the gold of Cetara, a concentrate of what this land has to offer, through its sea and the knowledge of its people. Another pride for the Amalfi Coast, a land full of other gastronomic treasures .
The best Spaghetti Helmut ever had, right ?
Something special: Steak Tartar con Colatura di Alici di Cetara.
Recipe for 4 portions: 480 g of beef fillet (best beef quality only – please), ½ onion, 15 capers, 2 tablespoons of Colatura di Alici sauce, 4 egg yolks, 1 medium sized pickled cucumber (not salty), lemon juice, Tabasco (instead Tabasco one also can use Sambal Olek) and pepper. Click on pics to supersize.
Something real special, not for everyone.
Chop the meat, the onion, cucumber and the desalted capers (just drain them and rinse a few times in water), add them in a bowl and season with oil, lemon juice, Tabasco, pepper and Cetara anchovies sauce.
Serve the tartar on a plate, giving them the cylindrical shape with a pastry rings. Place the egg yolk on each one. The yolk will hold perfectly on top, if you press with your thumb a little hollow into the meat.
Wonderful strong fine Italian quality wine. Right, sadly my last drop of this excellent wine.
Tips.
If you can get your hands on a bottle (or more) Chianti Classico Querciabella of Tuscany, it will be the best compliment to this steak tartar recipe. It is an excellent wine. Intense dark ruby color, clean and refined aromas, soft and full-bodied as the memory that leaves in the mouth and in the heart of every good drinker.
Colatura di Alici – Italy’s Umami in a bottle.
My final comment about this article is about anchovies taste and smell. I don’t like anchovies very much. But recipes with colatura and fresh made in a surrounding like Cetara makes everything different. I will not talk you into, like it or not !! But if you have the chance to taste it – do it. Its an experience one won’t forget !
