Agostino Recca Fillet of Anchovies in Olive Oil, 1.76 oz (50g) – Premium Italian Anchovies, Product of Italy [Pack of 3]

Fabulous for my Italian cooking. Imported from Italy which I love. Packaged beautifully. No weird smell or taste, and impart great flavor to dishes without anyone knowing there’s anchovies in dish, just enriches flavor. Was concerned when recipes called for anchovies, but with these, now I know why. Wow. Buy these, there the best. Great price fast delivery, easy to work with can. Usually use one can per dish (puttanesca) mmm.

These are excellent, mild anchovies that have the slight sweetness rarely found in canned anchovies. They also lack that flavor of can that sometimes affects the fish. I go through lots of anchovies making anchoiade, and the Agostino Reccas balance the saltier, stronger anchovies (like Cento) to give the sauce a more complex, less fishy flavor.

I have ordered these Anchovies several times. When the can is still in good shape these are probably the best anchovies on the market. However the past two times that I have ordered them the cans have come bloated (filled with gas) which possibly indicates that they have gone bad either due to improper storage or they got to hot or something. Kind of like the anti tamper caps on bottle that say do not use if the top is bubbled. This is how all 3 cans have come for the past two times that I have ordered them. I could not return the anchovies so they had to go strait into the trash. I have ordered several other brands of anchovies from Amazon and none of the other brands have had this issue. It’s a total shame because these Agostino Recca Anchovies are the best when they are safe to eat. Unfortunately I will not order them again because I’m sure the cans will come bloated again.

One of the reasons I buy anchovies is for their long shelf life, but when we opened up the last 2 of the 3 cans we purchased, they both had already leaked in our pantry. We didn't feel safe eating them, so sadly they were discarded. When they 1st arrived, they'd been carefully removed them from their packaging and put straight in the pantry. There's no way they got damaged at our house. I really love this brand of anchovies, but I don't know that I'd risk ordering them from Amazon again.

I used to really like King Oscar Anchovies but can't find anymore and so have been searching for an affordable anchovy and and these do a good job. These are quite good canned anchovies, a bit of bones, but had a nice rich taste without being too salty or too fishy, broke down nicely in my Puttanesca sauce (used the entire can) and are well within the expiration date (2027). Will buy again for sure.

A little pricier than brands of Moroccan anchovies. But clearly superior. Worth the difference, in my opinion. Firmer, large, not very dark. Excellent flavor, the right amount of saltiness. Each can has(according to the can, not my measurement) 1 ounce of anchovies(drained), which comes out to about 8 fillets. The can states that 40% of contents are olive oil. The stated expiration date on my cans was 2 1/2 years away. (3/26) Just ordered some more.

Update: I am experiencing the leakage issue. Since I use these in cooking, I have used the leaking tins that did not smell rancid. They are heated high enough to kill possible bacteria. I know. I am a weirdo. I like little hairy fish - anchovies. I like the strong salty hit. I also use them in salad dressing and puttanesca. I had two different varieties last week including these. The others were nice firm fish but had a texture I did not enjoy. Also, the salt flavor was not as pronounced. I plan to keep these on hand.

Besides the fact that these anchovies come in a fat, taped mound of protective bubble wrap (which protects the anchovies and anything else in my package), what keeps me ordering them is the wonderful taste. I use them in so many dishes that need a bit of a flavor boost- a small amount (like 1-2 anchovies in a crockpot stew, or in a chicken stir fry) does not add a fish taste but just a flavor boost. The pure olive oil on them (each can is 40% pure olive oil) I use to brush on top when I make focacchia dough (and then put the anchovies on top of the finished baked focacchia). And, I will admit that I have been known to grab one or two when I open a new can, and eat them right then and there....