Anchovy

Parsley and Anchovy Sauce

November  8, 2013
4
1 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes Just over 1/4 cup
Author Notes

Variations:
Add 2 teaspoons capers and a pinch of dried chile flakes.
Add the grated zest of 1 lemon —AliceWaters

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Ingredients
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 salt-cured anchovy fillets
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
  • Salt
  • Pepper
Directions
  1. Pound garlic clove to a purée using a mortar and pestle.
  2. Add the anchovy fillets and continue to pound.
  3. Once puréed, add the juice of 1/2 lemon, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Stir to dissolve the salt and whisk in extra-virgin olive oil.
  5. Stir in parsley.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

7 Reviews

tina November 5, 2014
the recipe doesn't mention what to do with the salt on the anchovies...
every time i've used salt cured anchovies i always rinse them in vinegar (NOT WATER) to get rid of excess salt. the fish will be salty enough without the salt that is crusted all around. i'm not sure if this is what the author had in mind but i think its an important step before making this recipe.
Robert R. January 15, 2023
On Julia Child's Cooking with Master Chef's episode featuring Alice Waters, one of the things Alice Waters made was tapenade. Julia Child said it was the best tapenade she'd ever had. (I made it and thought it was a bit too salty.) Anyway, in that episode, which may be on YouTube, she says, basically: "Soak 1-2 anchovies in a small bowl of water for 20 minutes as you continue through the recipe. To reduce the saltiness of the anchovies, change the water every 5 minutes or so, then allow the filets to continue to soak in between changes."
Hector L. September 2, 2014
You could, but the parsley will get dark after a couple of days. You could delay that moment by adding a crushed vitamin C tablet to the mix. And by topping the leftovers with oil to prevent air from reaching the mix.
seth10597 September 2, 2014
can you make this and store it for future use (like maybe in a mason jar) or do you need to use immediately?
Hector L. July 20, 2014
Add a bit of it to anything you cook that is good but is missing "something".
Dave L. November 29, 2013
I just joined and hate to be dumb. This sauce sounds great bu what do I use it for.
Joy B. February 6, 2014
This is one of my favorite sauces -- I make a batch for dinner parties and slice some baguette or focaccia for dipping. It's also great drizzled on simple creamy soups, and I imagine would be tasty tossed into a summer pasta salad.