Roman lamb with anchovies and rosemary
Anchovy is a favourite Roman flavour when it comes to flavourings, and a true winner in a roast, imparting depth and saltiness to the slow-cooked meat.
Serves 6
4 knuckles and 4 shanks of lamb (about 2kg)
Salt and black pepper
2-3 tbsp flour, for coating
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1 sprig sage
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets, preserved in oil
50ml white wine vinegar
200ml hot water
1 Trim the lamb, season and flour on all sides. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large lidded casserole dish. When hot, fry the lamb pieces until golden, turning frequently. Remove the lamb and drain on kitchen paper. Discard the oil and wipe the pan clean. Chop the herbs, garlic and anchovies together on a board.
2 Heat the remaining oil and briefly fry the anchovies, herbs and garlic. Return the lamb to the dish and stir. Add the vinegar and hot water. Cook covered over a low heat for 1 hour, or until the meat is cooked through. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
3 Remove the lamb from the casserole and place on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until browned. Meanwhile, heat the sauce in the casserole and adjust the seasoning. If there isn’t enough sauce, add a little water, or, if it is quite watery, boil to reduce. Remove the meat from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Pour over the sauce and serve with cannellini bean mash or with potato gnocchi and some grated parmesan.
Katie Caldesi, The Italian Cookery Course (Kyle)
Hijiki seaweed salad with anchovy dressing
Our first anchovy salad idea is decidedly Asian, combining crunchy veg with soft black flecks of hijiki seaweed and a sweet and salty dressing. When you think about it, anchovy and seaweed is an obvious oceanic pairing, accentuating the rich umami power of these tiny fillets. Find the seaweed in Asian supermarkets and online.
Serves 4
10g hijiki seaweed (dried)
A variety of vegetables (lettuce, carrots, cucumber, onions etc), to taste, julienned
For the dressing
2-3 anchovy fillets
2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
1 tbsp wine vinegar
A pinch of caster sugar
Pepper
1 tsp soy sauce
1 Quickly rinse the hijiki under cold water to remove any foreign matter, then soak in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and dry with kitchen paper.
2 Soak the julienned vegetables in cold water for 5 minutes, drain and pat dry.
3 Mince the anchovy and mix with the other ingredients for the dressing.
4 Mix the hijiki and vegetables in a serving bowl. Pour the dressing on top, then serve.
Harumi Kurihara, Harumi’s Japanese Cooking (Conran Octopus)
Anchovy butter and radish teatime sandwiches
Triangles of soft bread, butter creamed with anchovy and the peppery crunch of radish slices – tasty, delicate and elegant, everything teatime should be. Any leftover butter can be stored in the fridge for several days.
Makes 9
1x 500g sourdough loaf, cut into 6 slices
25g anchovy fillets
125g butter, at room temperature
10-12 radishes, trimmed and sliced lengthwise.
1 Drain the anchovy fillets, then blitz them with the butter. Spoon into a small container with a sealable lid and chill until firm, but still spreadable.
2 Spread anchovy butter thickly on to the bread slices. Scatter half with slices of radish, then sandwich with the remaining anchovy-buttered bread. To serve, cut each sandwich into 3 small triangles.
Roy Levy, Gail’s Artisan Bakery Cookbook (Ebury Press)
Pissaladiere
With its latticework of whole anchovies and dark olives atop a bed of caramelised onions and garlic, this provençal classic – originally from Nice – is oh-so-moreish.
Serves 6
3-4 tbsp olive oil
6 medium size onions, peeled and very thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
3 large yellow cloves
Salt, to taste
5-6 salt-packed anchovies
200g shop-bought puff pastry
1 small handful niçoise olives
1 Coat the bottom of a heavy frying pan with olive oil. Heat, then add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, cloves and salt. Cover, then stew over a medium heat for 1 hour or more, stirring frequently, until the onions are completely soft and reduced to about one third of their original volume. They should turn a pale golden colour, but not brown. Meanwhile, rinse and fillet the anchovies.
2 Prepare the puff pastry tart shell as per packet instructions. Strain the onion mixture, reserving the liquid. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
3 Spread the onion mixture over the prebaked tart shell. Garnish with the anchovy fillets in neat diagonal lines to create a diamond pattern. Put a niçoise olive at the centre of each gap in the grid.
4 Put the tart in the oven for 10 minutes to allow the anchovy and olives to bake into the onions. Just before serving, drizzle the tart with the reserved onion liquid.
Jeremy Lee, Quo Vadis
Rainbow chard tempura with anchovy mayonnaise
Tempura makes for one pretty plate, and these deep-fried leaves are as easy on the eye as they are on the palate – lightly crunchy greens with a homemade muddle of salty anchovy mayo. Serve with thinly sliced discs of fresh apple to act as a foil to the richness.
Serves 4
4-5 rainbow chard leaves
80g cornflour
80g plain flour
A pinch of baking powder
A pinch of salt
180ml ice-cold sparkling water
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced into discs, to serve
For the anchovy mayo
50g tin of anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove, chopped
Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme, chopped
75g dijon mustard
3 egg yolks
150g vegetable oil
100g olive oil
A splash of sherry vinegar
1 First, make the mayo. In a food processor, whizz the anchovy, garlic, thyme and mustard until they form a smooth paste. Add the egg yolks, whizz again, then very slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil, then the olive oil, until the mixture becomes thick, glossy and voluminous. Finish with a splash of sherry vinegar – just enough to cut the richness of the anchovy. You’ll end up with plenty more than you need, but it keeps for a few days in the fridge, and is wonderful on toast with boiled eggs, or served with cold roast meat.
2 Cut away the thick stems from the middle of the rainbow chard leaves and slice the stalks into thin batons at sharp diagonals. Slice the leaves into 2cm-wide strips.
3 Just before you want to serve the dish, make the batter: combine the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the sparkling water, until the consistency resembles double cream. Don’t over-whisk – a few small lumps will create a nice texture.
4 To finish the dish, heat 2 litres vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer or large pan until it reaches 170C/338F – or hot enough that bubbles form around a wooden spoon handle. Dip the rainbow chard leaves and stalks in the batter, and fry in separate batches in the hot oil. The leaves must be bone dry, or the batter won’t stick. When the batter is a very light golden colour, remove from the fryer and drain on kitchen paper, seasoning with a little salt as you go.
5 To serve, swipe some anchovy mayo on to the bottom of a plate to act as a sticky base, then pile the chard tempura high on top. Serve with extra anchovy mayo on the side, for dipping, and some slices of apple.
Nicholas Balfe, Salon, salonbrixton.co.uk
Jane’s eggs benedict
Named after a Rose Bakery chef, this is our current favourite take on eggs benedict: the usual soft-boiled eggs and toasted brioche with hollandaise, but laced with fresh parsley and anchovy fillets.
Serves 3
3 slices brioche
6 eggs
9 anchovy fillets, preserved in oil
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish
For the sauce
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper
3 egg yolks
250g butter, melted
Lemon juice, to taste
A few capers, chopped
1 First, make the hollandaise sauce. Put the water, vinegar and a pinch each of salt and pepper into a pan and heat until reduced by two-thirds. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Return the pan to a low heat and gradually whisk in the melted butter, a little at a time. Add a few drops of cold water if the sauce starts to separate. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary, and add a few drops of lemon juice. Strain into a bowl, fold in the capers and keep warm.
2 Toast both sides of the brioche and put on individual serving plates. Meanwhile, poach the eggs, then carefully place two on each slice of brioche, and top with 3 anchovy fillets.
3 Spoon over the hollandaise sauce and garnish with parsley before serving.
Rose Carrarini, How to Boil an Egg (Phaidon)
Roquefort cheese, anchovy and pear calzone pizza
Nuggets of molten blue cheese and sizzling anchovy fillets, fresh sage and sweet poached pears – pizzas don’t get much better than this.
Makes 2
For the dough
600g strong bread flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
200ml warm water
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
For the tomato sauce
60g red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
30g celery, diced
100ml tomato passata
1 tsp white balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar
For the filling
160g poached or tinned pears
140g roquefort cheese
Salt and pepper
For the garnish
8 smoked anchovy fillets
¼ bunch fresh sage, chopped
1 First make the tomato sauce. Cook the red onion, garlic and celery in a nonstick pan until tender, but not coloured. Add the passata and reduce until most of the liquid has gone. Season and finish with the balsamic vinegar.
2 Now make the dough. Put the flour into a large bowl and stir in the dried yeast and salt. Make a well, then pour in the water and the olive oil. Mix with your hands until you have a soft dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 6 minutes, then cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
3 Divide the dough in half and using a rolling pin roll each portion into large rounds on a surface sprinkled with plenty of semolina.
4 Lift up one half of the pizza dough and lay the smoked anchovy fillets skin-side down. Gently press down so they stick to the dough. Spoon on the passata, leaving a half-inch rim. Then sprinkle on the diced poached pear, grate the roquefort on top and sprinkle with chopped sage. Gently lift the far edge of the dough over the top and towards you, to fold the pizza in half, then carefully pleat the sides, leaving no holes. Repeat for the other pizza.
5 Place a baking sheet upside-down in the oven. Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/gas mark 9. Place the pizzas on the tray using a large spatula. Bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp. Serve with a little more olive oil and a sprinkling of sage leaves.
Andrew Turner, Hotel Café Royal
Warm potato salad with anchovy, habanero chilli and citrus
Our second anchovy salad combo pairs the fillets with the fruity, fiery flavour of the habanero chilli, for an aromatic punch of a potato salad.
Serves 4
900g waxy potatoes (such as Pink Fir or Ratte), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
4 anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 habanero/scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded
Zest and juice of ½ orange
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 small shallots, finely sliced
2–3 heads of chicory, leaves separated
A large handful of basil leaves, roughly shredded
1 Simmer the potatoes in salted, boiling water for 15–20 minutes, until cooked through. Meanwhile, pound the anchovy fillets, garlic clove and chilli with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar, until you have a smoothish paste. Add the orange zest and juice, and work them into the paste. Finally, mix this with the vinegar, olive oil and mayonnaise (if it won’t all fit, transfer the dressing to a small bowl).
2 When the potatoes are cooked, drain and, while still warm, toss with two-thirds of the dressing and the shallots. Check to make sure it is well seasoned, adjust as necessary.
3 Toss the chicory and basil leaves in the reserved dressing and either mix through the potatoes or arrange the leaves in a pretty salad bowl topped with the new potatoes.
Thomasina Miers, Chilli Notes (Hodder and Stoughton)
Roasted red pepper and anchovy salad on garlic toasts
Our third salad taps into the genius of Spanish tapas tradition – here the fish offsets the smooth sweetness of roasted peppers dressed with sherry vinegar.
Serves 4
1 large garlic bulb, plus 1 clove, finely chopped
2 large thyme sprigs
1½ tbsp olive oil
4 large red peppers
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
8 small slices of rustic white bread, about 1cm thick
16 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
Salt and black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Remove the outer skin from the garlic bulb and slice off the top to expose all the cloves. Place the bulb in the centre of a large square of kitchen foil, add the thyme sprigs, drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in the foil, put in a roasting tin with the peppers. Roast in the top of the oven for 20-30 minutes, turning the peppers once or twice, until they have blackened in places.
2 Remove the peppers from the tin, drop them into a plastic bag and set aside until cool enough to handle. Return the garlic parcel to the oven for another 35 minutes, or until it feels soft when pressed.
3 Meanwhile, slit open the peppers, working over a bowl so that you catch all the juices, then remove and discard the stalks, seeds and skin. Tear the flesh into 1cm-wide strips and add to the bowl of juices with the chopped garlic clove, vinegar, the remaining thyme leaves and the rest of the olive oil. Stir well together.
4 Remove the garlic from the oven and set the parcel aside. Toast the slices of bread. Unwrap the roasted garlic, squeeze some of the puree from each clove and spread it on the toast while both are still hot. Sprinkle with a few salt flakes and some black pepper. Season the pepper strips with a little salt to taste and spoon on to the garlic toast. Garnish each slice with the anchovy fillets, drizzle over some of the pepper juices and serve while the toast is still crisp.
José Pizarro, Spanish Flavours (Kyle)
Spaghetti alla puttanesca
The infallible pasta dish that uses only storecupboard staples, yet never gets old – it’s exactly the right balance of savoury, sharp and fresh, and the anchovy is the rich salty goodness that holds it all together.
Serves 4
400g dried spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
8 anchovy fillets, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
Large handful black olives, pitted
1 tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped
A large handful fresh basil, optional
1 Cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large frying pan, throw in the anchovy and sizzle for 2 minutes until they’ve broken down.
2 Add the garlic, dried chilli and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the tomatoes, increase the heat and bubble for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the olives and capers.
3 Drain the pasta, leaving a bit of water coating the strands, then tip into the tomato sauce. Toss the spaghetti to coat it in the sauce, add a drizzle of olive oil and allow the sauce to emulsify slightly.
4 Serve immediately with some fresh basil if you have any.
Rosie Reynolds, rosiereynolds.co.uk
