Anchovies with black pepper

Preparation:

Preparation: Clean the anchovies by removing the head and innards, wash them in sea water and leave them to dry well on a rack. In an earthenware pot, make a light layer of rather fine salt (once they used rock salt from Lungro, Cosenza, or from the Timpa del Salto mine in Belvedere di Spinello, Catanzaro, well pounded) and sprinkle abundantly with peppercorns which you will have coarsely crushed in the mortar, make a thick layer of anchovies, then salt and pepper and so on, ending with the anchovies. Be careful not to add too much salt to avoid the risk of having very salty anchovies. Place a wooden disc a couple of centimeters thick and with a diameter smaller than that of the opening of the vase, and on top of the cutlery disc, to give weight, a circular stone (of those found near rivers). Place in a cool place and check from time to time that the anchovies are very moist on the surface due to the salt that has completely dissolved in them. If dry, pour a brine that you will prepare by dissolving salt in water in the proportion of 100 g of salt for each liter of water, sterilizing by boiling and letting it cool completely before pouring on the anchovies. Leave to mature for at least 3-4 months.