Seafood Made Simple: Why anchovies are a chef's secret weapon to boost flavour

This weekend I’m sharing a simple little snack, perfect for entertaining at this time of year
Seafood Made Simple: Why anchovies are a chef's secret weapon to boost flavour

A Puff Anchovy Fantastic And Bowl With Straws Also Of Chani Pastry Anderson Sage Are These Served Picture: Soup

I consider anchovies to be one of the very best flavour enhancers there is.

A secret weapon in a chef’s arsenal of ingredients, they are the body in a rich tomato sauce, the umami in a salad dressing, the ultimate pizza topping and the most satiating of snacks.

I love them in all their forms, the robust little fillets packed in coarse sea salt in those tiny jars, canned and submerged in rich olive oil and the pickled anchovy – boquerones – more delicate in flavour with the addition of vinegar and my favourite of all conservas.

This weekend I’m sharing a simple little snack, perfect for entertaining at this time of year. You can serve these as one of several canapés, they are great with a meat and cheese board or change things up this Christmas and do a tinned fish and pickles board!

These sage and anchovy puff pastry straws are also fantastic served with a bowl of soup. (They’re perfect for grazing too and keeping people out of your kitchen when you’re trying to figure out the logistics of how to feed them all hot food at once!)

I’ve used my usual go-to, Cantabrian anchovies, for this recipe from the well managed fishery in the Bay of Biscay, that have prioritised the preservation of this species. Such simple recipes like this really do rely on good quality ingredients, and a little of these go a very long way. The flavour of the anchovy mellows while its cooking and is not at all ‘fishy’ but deeply savoury and delicious. Who doesn’t love crunchy, salty snacks?

I have used one sheet of shop-bought puff pastry for this recipe, which is such a handy little product to have stashed in the fridge or freezer when you happen to have friends over.

Chef know-how

Puff pastry preforms best when kept chilled throughout shaping and before baking. If you can, place the egg-washed strips in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before baking for maximum puffed layers.

If using frozen puff pastry make sure to be organised and defrost in the refrigerator.

You can prepare these straws a day in advance, just make sure they are tightly covered in the fridge to prevent the pastry from drying out.

You can swap sage for thyme or chopped rosemary and clementine for lemon or orange.

If you’re not an anchovy enthusiast, this recipe works well with parmesan too.

During December I like to keep a clementine or two in the freezer. I find it makes them much easier to zest.

Sage & anchovy puff pastry straws

By:aishling Moore Recipe

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Sage & anchovy puff pastry straws

Servings

16

Time Preparation

15 mins

Cooking Time

18 mins

Time Total

33 mins

Course

Side

ingredients

  • Sheet Pastry 320g X 1 Puff

  • Small 1 Anchovies) Anchovies Tin 16 (or

  • Bunch Small 1 Sage Of

  • 1 Clementine, Zested

  • Egg 1

  • Freshly Black Cracked ½ Tsp Pepper

method

  1. To Preheat The Oven 200°c

  2. A Half The Floured To In Halfway Pastry Out Sheet Length Along Make And Puff Incision Fold Small A The The Surface Lightly Crease Cold The Of Lay Pastry Over On

  3. Of Will Used Sheet Pastry This The The Sharp A Use Along The Half Of Pastry Crease Set Half The Be In Aside Filling Cut To Anchovy One Knife To Sandwich

  4. One With Of Surface Of Brush Area Lightly The Half Egg Pastry Wash The Whole

  5. To Them The Cover Rows, The Anchovy Pastry To In A Has Spacing Lay Of Pastry Horizontally Anchovies Little Across Make Whole The Out And Bite Sure Sheet Eat

  6. The Them The Egg With To Stalks To Stick Sage Pastry, Laying Leaves Press Rows Down Washed Removed In Space They Also Pastry Ensure Across The

  7. Sheet Citrus Cover The Whole Zest Christmas To Little With The A Clementine

  8. Freshly Sheet Cracked Generously Pepper Use The Toseason

  9. Pastry Of Lightly And Of A The Anchovy, Pin A Sheet Create Top Pastry Sage On Press Half Sheet Of Other Seal Rolling Using Place Clementine The Decorated To

  10. A Between Of The 1x Leaving To Gap At Lined Also Add Using Pastry Stage Slivers This 8 With Pastry Cut Knife Few Sharp I The A Strip Decorate A To Place Wash Allow Brush To Finely Into Strips Sliced Sage Puff Lightly Baking Tray, Each Egg Large, To A On Inch Like

  11. Remove Oven Airtight Not Until Container Brown Bake And Cool On Before Store Cooled Minutes If Allow Wire A For To In Serving In 18 Rack Preheated The 16 An Immediately Or Serving Once Golden

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