Marinated Anchovies (+Anchovy Toast)
If you think you hate anchovies, you just haven’t had the right anchovies.
Tinned fish is all the rage, and for good reason. It’s a low effort – high reward ingredient. Most of the work has been done for you by skilled artisans that meticulously catch, filet, cure and carefully pack each piece of fish into tins for preserving. Pop open one of those tins, bath the fish in a simple marinade and enjoy with crackers or toast.
If you’d like to take it one step further lay the marinated anchovy filets across a piece of warm, garlic-rubbed, crusty bread topped with a thick slice of cold butter – I promise, you’ll be instantly converted into an anchovy lover.
Perfect for Apéro Hour or Tapas night – serve these marinated anchovies alongside more delicious, quick bites like; Pan con Tomate, Marinated Feta, Crudités and Tahini-Labneh Dip.
Note: The best anchovies are Cantabrian anchovies. Sustainably wild-caught and meticulously packed into tins by hand, they spend five months bathed in brine and olive oil, acquiring an meaty texture and deeply rich, salty, umami flavor. They’re so good you can can eat them straight out of the can. Find them in specialty stores or online.
Recipe Steps:
Step 1. Make the Marinade
Combine the olive oil, parsley, lemon zest and chili flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 2. Arrange the Anchovies
Carefully remove the anchovies from their tin and lay them, individually across a small serving dish. Culinary tweezers are very helpful for this task. Pour the marinade over the anchovies.
Step 3. Serve
Marinated anchovies can be served as-is with crackers or toast on the side. Alternatively – serve them across garlic-rubbed toast with a thick smear of cold butter. (They’re also great on Pan con Tomate.)
More Delicious
Appetizers & Tapas
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Marinated Anchovies (+Anchovy Toast)
Ingredients
Marinated Anchovies
- 1 small tin or jar oil-packed anchovies - see notes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes - optional
Anchovy Toasts
- 6 small slices good quality, crusty bread - or Homemade Crostini
- 1 large clove garlic - peeled
- 6 tablespoons salted butter - cold
- marinated anchovies - see above
Instructions
Marinated Anchovies
- Combine the olive oil, parsley, lemon zest and chili flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Gently remove the anchovies from the tin and arrange on a rimmed serving plate, being careful to keep the filets intact. Pour the infused oil over them. Serve right away or store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Anchovy Toasts
- Under a broiler or in a standard toaster, toast the bread, until the surface is golden brown.
- Rub each piece of toast with the garlic clove, then top with a generous slice of cold butter and 1-2 marinated anchovies. Top with a drizzle of the marinade then serve right away.
Notes
- Anchovies: Choose the best anchovies you can for this recipe. You don’t necessarily have to track down specialty Spanish anchovies from Cantabria. The brands Agostino Recca and Ortiz are widely available in US supermarkts and have very good quality tinned fish.
