For The Love Of Anchovies

Photo: rfarmer

Members of the herring family, anchovies are tiny silver fish that are most frequently packed in olive oil and salt.  My love of this small fish began when I lived in Rome.  I simply could not stop eating anchovies on a simple pizza of tomato and mozzarella.   I have since expanded my use of anchovies, using them to add salt and depth to a variety of recipes.  Here are a few of my favorite uses of the anchovy - some are mine, some are dishes I admire, all are examples of the versatility of this flavor packed little beauty.

A.  Anchovy-Cauliflower Spread at Tom Douglas' Seattle restaurant Lola.  No recipe here - but I highly recommend a visit if you're in Seattle. 

B.  Added to tomato sauces - I add anchovy to many of my tomato sauces in place of salt.  I particularly like it when I am adding italian sausage to my sauce.  

C.  Pasta alla Vongole -  I like to add a little anchovy paste to the broth in place of salt.  Anchovy paste is often a mix of ground anchovies, vinegar, spices and water.  Its strong, salty flavor goes a long way, adding richness rather than fishyness.  

D.  Anchovy Butter - in a food processor blend 1 stick of softened unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons lemon, 3 anchovy fillets (or to taste), and 2-3 cloves of garlic.  Capers can also be added to this mixture for extra tartness.  This rich, salty butter is great on steaks and on hot toasts.  A little goes a long way.  There are many variations of this compound butter - experiment.  Enjoy.