Collioure, a quaint colorful seaside town lies on the Mediterranean just 20 miles north of the Spanish border. A lovely place to stroll the streets of the old town, soak up some sun and indulge in the great seafood, especially the anchovies, claimed by some to be the best in the world. They are certainly the best I’ve ever eaten.
While Collioure is a parking nightmare, it is especially bad on a Sunday morning when some of the more significant old town streets are blocked off for the market which, in mid-April, seemed to have more patrons than vendors.
El Campanar, across from the tourist office and the busiest place on the Place du 18 Juin, offered just what we were looking for, a light Sunday lunch where we could taste the local anchovies, enjoy well prepared seafood, nibble at something sweet and not have to loosen our belts.
Collioure Salad – two types of local anchovies, the vinegar cured boquerones and the darker salt cured anchovies on a bed of arugula.
Gambas – shrimp
Beautifully cooked fresh dorade.
For dessert crème catalane – Catalan version of crème brûlée.
And of course we couldn’t leave town without buying our own supply of anchovies, both kinds.
Anchovy Recipes
What to do with all those anchovies? Here are a few recipes from previous posts. Enjoy!
Braised Provençal Rabbit with Anchovies
Zucca with Garlic Anchovy Sauce and Mint
Pasta with Anchovies, Pine Nuts and Currents
Camargue Taureau Cooked Two Ways
For links to all the posts in this series see the French Pyrenees page.