Uses for anchovies?

kath

kath

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We inherited multiple tins of anchovies from someone. (Long story.)
Neither me nor my pandemic-shelter-househost like to eat them particularly.

I tried using them (via a blender) as a substitute for fish sauce in a Thai recipe, and that actually worked pretty well.

Seeking additional interesting culinary ideas. Whatchagot?
 
You can add them to a ceasar dressing.

Or ruin a pizza.
 
I know I'm in the minority here -- and everywhere, I imagine -- but I like anchovies. On pizza, on a salad, on a cracker. My wife doens't like them at all, so I rarely have them, but I grew up in an anchovy loving house. Odd, since we were about as white-bread as you can get. Figuratively speaking, that is. Pumpernickel, wheat, and other various breads were always welcome in our house.
 
Not a total minority! I order anchovies on my pizza all the time. Also, nothing like fresh anchovies and bacon bits in a Caesar salad! I suppose if you Google anchovies or anchovy paste in recipes, something should come up for other possibilities.
 
Doering said:
Not a total minority! I order anchovies on my pizza all the time. Also, nothing like fresh anchovies and bacon bits in a Caesar salad! I suppose if you Google anchovies or anchovy paste in recipes, something should come up for other possibilities.
Click to expand...
Here's another anchovie lover. Aside from the salt in canned anchovies, they are very healthy. I can't eat too much pizza anymore :( but I do like them with anchovies. Great on Ceasar salads with parmesan and bacon bits. Of course, almost anything is good with parmesan and bacon bits. I'll be making my baked shrimp appetizer with bacon and parmessan for Mother's day.

And they are great for enticing a cat to come down from the attic above the ceiling tiles. The stinkier the better for that.
 
Great item for hiding in a co-worker's office. Or if you can get into their car, slip a couple inside the AC/heater vents.
 
In addition to adding them to salads, I make a quick anchovy spaghetti sauce.

You need:
Anchovies
Fresh Parsley
Garlic
Olive Oil
(and if you like some capers).

Start the spaghetti cooking. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Add the anchovies and garlic stirring to break up the anchovies. Add a mess of chopped parsley and the capers (if you're using it). When the spaghetti is ready mix it all together.
 
This thread is making me hungry. Not necessarily the anchovies, but the recipes the anchovies inspire. @flyingron s recipe sounds wonderful.
 
I like anchovies, but a little goes a long way. I seem to remember my mother mixing them with cream cheese and stuffing celery with the mixture.
 
The only good use for anchovies is to put them under the front passenger seat of that annoying cousin's car on his wedding day!
 
Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Did I mention Pizza?

Anchovies are one of those things that people absolutely love, or absolutely hate. There is no neutral. You are either pro anchovy or you are dead against them. I love them. They are the bacon of seafood.
 
In small amounts, they are pretty useful in a lot of sauces and such. If you use them sparingly enough, nobody will taste them, and they add a great depth of flavor without being noticed. I personally like them a lot, and even eat them on their own sometimes, but my wife does not. Most of the time if I use them as outlined above, she will comment about how delicious it is, and ask what I put in it. Same thing can be said for blended/food processed raw chicken livers, used sparingly in something like bolognese sauce.....which I'd add can be a good use for a small amount (maybe 2-3 "fillets") of water rinsed anchovies instead. Again, the key for most American palates is using a small amount. Much more than a couple generally ends up showing its hand. If you decide you like them, 4-5 anchovies thrown into some olive oil, garlic, and chili peppers is a really easy spaghetti sauce. The anchovies simply dissolve into the sauce on their own. That said, you will for sure taste them in that example.
 
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