ANCHOVIES are small but packed with big flavours. If you love their bold taste, here are eight easy anchovy recipes.
Spicy anchovy sambal
A Malaysian favourite with crispy anchovies tossed in a fiery sambal sauce.
Ingredients
1 cup of dried anchovies, cleaned
2 tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons of sambal paste (or blended chilies with garlic and onions)
1 tablespoon of sugar
½ tablespoon of tamarind paste
½ cup of water
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Fry anchovies in hot oil until crispy, then set aside.
2. In the same pan, saute sambal paste until fragrant.
3. Add sugar, tamarind paste, water and salt. Simmer for three to five minutes.
4. Toss in the crispy anchovies and mix well.
5. Serve with rice or as a side dish.
Anchovy fried rice
A quick, savoury stir-fry with crispy anchovies, garlic and soy sauce.
Ingredients
2 cups of cooked rice (preferably left to cool overnight)
½ cup of dried anchovies, fried until crispy
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of oil
Spring onions for garnish
Instructions
1. Heat oil in a pan and fry garlic until fragrant.
2. Push garlic aside and scramble the egg in the same pan.
3. Add rice, soy sauce and oyster sauce, stirring well.
4. Toss in the crispy anchovies and mix.
5. Garnish with spring onions and serve hot.
Korean glazed anchovies
A crunchy, sweet-savory Korean side dish (myulchi bokkeum) with sesame and honey.
Ingredients
1 cup of baby anchovies (myulchi)
1 tablespoon of oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of honey or corn syrup
½ tablespoon of sesame seeds
½ teaspoon of sesame oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
Instructions
1. Dry-roast the anchovies in a pan for two minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat oil and saute garlic. Add soy sauce, honey and sesame seeds.
3. Toss in the anchovies and coat well.
4. Drizzle sesame oil, mix and remove from heat.
5. Serve as a side dish or snack.
Anchovy butter pasta
A rich, garlicky pasta where anchovies melt into a savoury butter sauce.
Ingredients
200g of spaghetti or linguine
3 of tablespoons butter
4 of anchovy fillets, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish
Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water.
2. In a pan, melt butter with olive oil. Add anchovies and mash until dissolved.
3. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking until fragrant.
4. Add pasta and toss, adding reserved pasta water for a silky texture.
5. Serve with Parmesan and parsley.
Caesar salad with anchovy dressing
A classic caesar salad with a bold, umami-rich anchovy dressing.
Ingredients
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
½ cup of croutons
¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
2 boiled eggs, sliced
Dressing
4 anchovy fillets, mashed
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
¼ cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
Instructions
1. Blend all dressing ingredients until smooth.
2. Toss lettuce with dressing, croutons and Parmesan.
3. Top with boiled egg slices and serve immediately.
Thai anchovy chili dip
A bold, spicy and tangy Thai dip featuring anchovies, excellent for pairing with fresh vegetables or rice.
Ingredients
½ cup of dried anchovies, fried
until crispy
2 red chilies, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of lime juice
½ teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of water
Instructions
1. Pound chilies and garlic in a mortar and pestle until smooth.
2. Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and water. Mix well.
3. Stir in the crispy anchovies and mash slightly.
4. Serve as a dip with vegetables or steamed rice.
Italian puttanesca sauce
A classic Italian pasta sauce featuring anchovies, olives and tomatoes for a deep, umami-rich flavour.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (400g) of diced tomatoes
½ cup of black olives, sliced
1 tablespoon of capers
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Pasta of choice (200g)
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic and anchovies until fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, red pepper flakes and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Cook pasta and mix it into the sauce.
4. Serve hot with grated Parmesan.
Filipino garlic anchovy rice
A comforting Filipino-style fried rice infused with garlic and crispy anchovies.
Ingredients
2 cups of cooked rice (preferably overnight)
½ cup of dried anchovies, fried until crispy
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of fish sauce
1 egg, fried (optional, for topping)
Instructions
1. Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic until golden.
2. Add rice and stir-fry until heated through.
3. Stir in soy sauce and fish sauce. Mix well.
4. Toss in the crispy anchovies.
5. Serve hot with a fried egg on top.
Anchovies brings good flavour to every dish. Try these easy recipes and discover new ways to love this humble yet flavourful ingredient!
