Anchovies, small silvery fish, are popular for their spicy, meaty, and slightly salty flavour. They are easy to cook and yield delicious results, making them a favourite among chefs for their intense, meaty, and somewhat salty taste.
In this blog, we will discuss the best anchovy recipes you must try.
Anchovy Fishing and Fresh Anchovies
Most recipes included here employ tinned anchovies; however, fresh anchovies are also considered a delicacy. Anchovy fishing is regularly conducted in the coastal waters and mainly on the Mediterranean fish area and Pacific coasts.
Raw, anchovies are eaten grilled, fried, or marinade while they are also canned or made into paste. Beer-battered anchovies are delicious and, if you can still find fresh ones, simply place them under a grill with a little lemon and olive oil.
Quick and Tasty Anchovy Recipes
1. Anchovy Butter Spread
Anchovy butter is an easy-to-prepare sauce that can be utilized to enhance some of your food’s taste. From enjoying it on toast to basting your vegetables to dressing your seafood mix this recipe will enhance your meal with a lot of ease.
Ingredients:
4-5 canned anchovies, for a topping, you need softened 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 tbsp. Lemon juice, 1 tbsp. Chopped parsley, and freshly ground black pepper.
Instructions:
- In another bowl, crush the tinned anchovies with a fork until they have a paste-like consistency.
- Blend the anchovy paste with some softened butter, until the mixture is smooth.
- Add lemon juice, parsley, and black pepper to the vegetables and stir them gently.
- You may spread this on toasted bread or crackers as a snack, or enjoy it with roasted vegetables, or grilled meats.
As for those who have some anchovy butter left over, one should chill the creation and store it in a fridge for a week or even more. For those of you who are always in a hurry, it will be a good help when it comes to adding extra flavour to your meals.
2. A Caesar Salad Served with Anchovy Dressing
It is for this reason that the Caesar salad which is among the most popular salads today gives a good feel of the bold anchovies taste. One key ingredient that is usually omitted from many home recipes for Caesar dressing is canned anchovies and this makes this salad especially delicious.
Ingredients:
6 anchovy fillets, 1 garlic minced clove, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp. Lemon juice, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup “parsley flakes”, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.
Instructions:
- Place these ingredients in a mixing bowl and pound them until the mixture is smooth – specifically the anchovy fillets and garlic.
- You should mix mustard with lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce
- Stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Add mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese and this forms a rich dressing.
- So toss the dressing with the romaine lettuce, the croutons, and yet more cheese to have a perfect Ceasar salad.
For a healthier alternative you can replace the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt but remember this will be for a less savory dish.
3. Pasta Puttanesca
Pasta Puttanesca is a traditional Italian dish including many kinds of fish, tomatoes, capers, and olives. It is a thick and flavoursome meal that can be prepared within half an hour, which is suitable for having dinner.
Ingredients:
8 anchovy chopped fillets, 2 tbsp. Olive oil, 3 garlic minced cloves, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 can of crushed tomatoes (14 ounces), 1/4 cup sliced black olives, 2 tbsp. Rinsed capers, 12 oz. pasta of your preference or spaghetti, and fresh parsley for garnish.
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil on medium heat, in a large skillet.
- Include the anchovies and let them dissolve in the oil themselves.
- Then stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is aromatic.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, and capers.
- Allow the sauce to reduce and allow the sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- At the same time, bear in mind that you will need to cook pasta as per its package-provided directions.
- Drain the pasta mix it up with the puttanesca sauce and sprinkle fresh parsley on top.
Parmesan cheese is also sprinkled on top of this food to increase the richness of its taste.
4. Anchovy Pizza with Capers and Olives
In case you are a lover of canned anchovies then surely you will fall in love with anchovy pizza. The taste of anchovies is rather piquant and works well with capers and olives to produce a most delicious, savoury dish, which may be easily prepared at home.
Ingredients:
1 store-bought pizza dough, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 8 anchovy fillets, 1/4 cup sliced black olives, 2 tbsp. Capers, 1 cup of shredded and defining mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil for garnish.
Instructions:
- Cook in an oven preheated at 475°F (245°C).
- Open the pizza dough on a plane surface dusted with some flour.
- Spoon the tomato sauce over the dough and leave a border around every edge of the baking sheet.
- Next, place the layer of anchovy fillets, green olives, and capers garnishing the pizza in an appealing order.
- Spoon on the top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes more until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted/foamy.
- And finally, garnish it with fresh basil and serve.
Optional, for that extra crunch, the pizza dough should be baked 5 minutes before adding any toppings.
5. Anchovy and Tomato Bruschetta
Here we present you a fast and yummy dish, which is an anchovy and tomato bruschetta. Finally, the tomatoes are sweet and the flavor of the anchovy provides a good, salty content which makes it a tasty snack.
Ingredients:
1 sliced baguette, 2 ripe tomatoes, 4 chopped anchovy fillets, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp. Olive oil, and fresh basil for garnish.
Instructions:
- Over to preheat, set the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Lightly brush the slices of baguette with olive oil and place on the oven till golden, for 5-7 minutes.
- Toss in the tomatoes, anchovies, garlic, and basil in another bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Place this sauce equally on the slices of toasted baguette and serve while hot.
That is all there is to it, though, for a little touch of extra flavour you can drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the vegetables.
6. Anchovy Deviled Eggs
You will find it interesting to include anchovies in your deviled egg preparation. Here is an easier version of the traditional quiche which makes it more suitable for festive functions.
Ingredients:
6 hard-boiled eggs, 3 anchovy fillets which need to be finely chopped, 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, fresh chives for garnish.
Instructions:
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs and make a little hole in them to empty the yolk.
- Rub the egg yolks with the anchovies, mayonnaise, and mustard to a smooth paste.
- Return the mixture to the egg whites and also sprinkle it with green onions.
To make the filling spicy you can add a tinge of red pepper or cayenne pepper.
