Tuna Cheese with Fresh Anchovies in Scapece

This Italian antipasto pairs caciotta al tonno (a soft tuna-flavored cheese popular in central Italy) with fresh anchovies cured scapece-style. Scapece is the southern Italian technique of “cooking” raw fish in citrus, the Mediterranean cousin to ceviche, and works beautifully on delicate fresh anchovy fillets.

The lemon juice and zest do the work over a 2-hour fridge cure. The acid denatures the proteins, turning the translucent fish opaque and firm without any heat. Once cured, the fillets get tossed gently with extra-virgin olive oil, chopped Italian parsley, and red pepper flakes, then arranged over slices of the tuna cheese.

The contrast is what makes this dish sing. Cool creamy cheese underneath, briny lemon-bright anchovy on top, with a thread of olive oil pulling it all together. Two ingredients, one bold flavor.

Chef Tips

• Use only the freshest anchovies for scapece. Older fish has too much funk for raw curing.
• Cure on a marble or ceramic surface, not metal. Acid reacts with reactive metals and adds off-flavors.
• Be gentle when stirring the cured anchovies. Fragile fillets break apart easily after the citrus cure has firmed them.
• Serve at slightly cool but not cold. Refrigerator cold mutes both the cheese and the anchovy flavors. Pull from the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Variations

• Substitute fresh sardines for anchovies if you can find them. The same scapece technique works perfectly.
• Use burrata or fresh ricotta if tuna cheese is unavailable. Different cheese profile but the contrast still works.
• Top with a few capers and shaved shallot for a more aggressive briny edge.