A question about a recipe: Anna Klinger's Grilled Swiss Chard Stems with Anchovy Vinaigrette

Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52

added 8 months ago

I asked Anna about this and she recommended just rinsing the oil-packed ones well -- you'll want to adjust the final dressing to your taste anyway, and the soaking is just there to reduce the saltiness of the salt-packed kind. In fact, I tried soaking the oil-packed ones in milk overnight and they basically disintegrated. Do not recommend!

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HalfPint added 8 months ago

Lactic acid in milk softens proteins so that's why the fish disintegrated. But a quick soak of about 30 minutes should fine and de-salt the anchovies.

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pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.

added 8 months ago

If you can't find salt packed anchovies, please avoid the tinned ones (typically from Morocco) altogether. That's why so many people hate (or think they hate) anchovies. A perfectly good substitute would be to buy the jarred style from Italy or Spain. A quick rinse is all they need. I did a house made caesar tonight using that method. I refer to the tinned kind as "pizza anchovies". Yuck!

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JustSomeCook added 8 months ago

Rinse them off under a faucet for a minute, just to get the excess salt off the exterior, then continue with recipe as written.

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