salt packed anchovies,

I gently work a fingertip along the anchovy belly. When I can feel the backbone, I very carefully wiggle it free, pulling it from the anchovy flesh with my thumb and forefinger. Before deboning, I brush as much salt off by hand, then I rinse them in cold water. April Bloomfield suggests soaking them in cold water for a minute after rinsing to remove additional salt. I'll bet thati pizza was seriously delicious!

anyone have tips on deboning? i kinda massacred these little guys.

just opened the can. have to admit, these things are scary looking! They're a bit labor intensive, what with the de-boning. putting them on a pizza tonight.

Yep, that's on the "to do" list. I also found this beautifully written article, with a few great recipes, by our very own Amanda Hesser: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/18/dining/a-little-fish-much-maligned.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Sam's suggestion of caesar salad is an excellent one.

Thanks guys. Got them today. very excited. Any suggestions on what I should try first?

Same goes for salt-packed capers, which a friend brings from Italy. The quality is excellent and they keep well. See this from a David Tanis piece a year or so ago in the New York Times about salt-packed anchovies and capers: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/buying-anchovies-and-capers/

Yum. I'm jealous of all the delicious anchovies.

You're going to like them, Mrs. Larkin! ;)

Mrs. Larkin, I recently bought a tin too and the price was comparable in Canada. I became a convert of salt packed anchovies after April Bloomfield strongly endorsed them in a Girl and Her Pig. The flavor is definitely superior to oil packed anchovies. I find them extremely easy to debone, and I have been finding many uses for them. I have been told by other cooks that they will last for months and months in the fridge. Pierino and Paseo, thanks for the tip about making sure to salt the anchovies to extend their shelf life. I'll make sure to do that as well.

Thanks guys. I'm going to go for it.

Paseo has it right all the way. You do have to continue to recover the anchovies in salt. Also, be prepared to pull off the heads and yank out the spines. But they do last for a VERY long time.

And yes, that about what I pay at an Italian deli in Portland(Maine). Seems to be a fair price for that many good quality anchovies.

That's what I buy - more work but excellent quality. I remove what I need, then cover the remaining in the can with salt. I use them fairly quickly (it's a LOT of little fish) and find that they last well - a least a couple of months.