Pickled anchovies like "Appetitsild"

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g anchovies, whole, frozen
• 4 tsp, heaped sea salt, coarse
• 2 tsp, leveled sugar
• 1 tsp, heaped mustard flour
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 8 peppercorns
• 4 carnations
• 2 tsp coriander, whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion(s)
• some vinegar
• some oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest period approx. 3 days; Total time approx. 3 days 20 minutes

Kiel’ka solona – spicy and very simple, naturally matured, Ukrainian cuisine

Thaw the anchovies and rinse with cold water. Roughly crush the spices in a mortar and pestle, then mix with salt, sugar, and mustard flour. Arrange the anchovies tightly together in a sealable container (one that would fit an upturned saucer on top as a weight). Sprinkle each layer with the spice mixture, add a few drops of apple cider vinegar, and weigh it down with the upturned saucer. Seal, refrigerate, and let it mature for 3-6 days. After a few hours, a brine will form in the container. Over the next few days, make sure the anchovies are always covered with the brine. After 3-6 days, the anchovies will have naturally matured and fermented, and are ready to eat. Fillet the anchovies – it’s easy and doesn’t require a knife. To do this, put on disposable gloves, snap off the head of the anchovy with your fingers, scrape out the belly flap and entrails with your index finger, open the fish, flatten it slightly, and remove the backbone. Briefly rinse the filleted anchovies in a sieve with cold water to rinse out any bitter intestinal residue. Slice an onion into rings, add it to the anchovies, season with vinegar and oil, and serve. Serve with boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes. Pickled anchovies (Kiel’ka solona) are a popular traditional dinner in Ukraine. Note: Mustard flour is important for preservation. If you can’t find mustard flour, you can grind the mustard seeds in a coffee grinder or simply use curing salt instead of coarse sea salt and mustard flour.