Curing (or marinating) fish is no big deal, actually, you only need to know some basic rules. One: All raw fish needs to sit for 24 hours in its marinade (or under a thick layer of salt and sugar), except salmon which needs 48 hours. Two: Lemon juice is to be used with care because it “cooks” the fish. Three: Adding herbs, crushed peppers (or juniper!), zests, garlic, whatever, makes an amazing difference.
I found some excellent fresh anchovies on the market – and my decision built instantly: Home-made anchovies it would be! I pulled the fillets, salted them for two hours or so, washed off the salt, dried them on kitchen towels, sprinkled some garlic over the fish, drowned it in lemon juice overnight, then replaced the juice by excellent olive oil and let sit. It made a wonderful epicenter of a light supper, as you can see in the pictures.
You can do the same with mackerels and sardines. Served with some toasted bread (and a nice rosé wine from Southern France) it is a simple and very cheap delight.
French Food Fool 