Even though I keep saying that we are sick of eating bolináw at this point in the season, the truth is that it comes in handy when bigger fish are scarce. There are only a handful of ways you can prepare it, so the trick is to do them in rotation, in smaller quantities — like a side dish, a “healthier” complement to the often inevitable meat entrée.
The quotation marks are for the high concentration of purines in anchovy, often referred to by the name of its by-product — uric acid, a high level of which can cause gout and/or kidney disease (other high-purine foods are liver (and most red meat), herring, mackerel, and mussel). Otherwise, feel free to indulge. Me, I still have to work up the guts to eat raw fish. I don’t always eat what I cook (or, in this case, prepare).
Kinilaw bolináw, anyone? Fresh anchovy fry are rinsed, drained well, and served separately with vinegar (or else they will “cook”). The spices usually go with the vinegar, but this time I went with Jenny’s request to mix them in with the fish, and frankly the dish presented better that way (make sure to de-seed tomato). If making ahead, store cleaned fish in the refrigerator until serving.
Interested in more recipes featuring bolináw? They’re great in soup, fried into fritters, fermented into ginamós, poached (in vinegar or in their own juices, preferably fried afterward), or dried and fried, with rice or on pizza.
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