Anchovy

Anchovy Lovers’ Crostini

December 21, 2021
5
3 Ratings
Photo by Carolina Gelen
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • makes 12 to 15 crostini
Author Notes

Will these crostini convert an anchovy hater? Maybe? Probably? Probably not? I grew up having tinned herring for breakfast. My family would buy a bunch of tins every month, and we’d eat them with bread and not much else. This dish requires a little more effort, but it’s worth it. For December’s Recipe This or That, the poll winners were: baguette, shallots, butter, anchovies, and baking. Anchovies bring delightful umami and saltiness to any recipe. Similarly, white miso adds even more umami and saltiness, but also a subtle sweetness. Mashed with butter, spread on sliced bread, and baked in the oven, it’s the perfect foundation for a savory appetizer. Lemon juice and zest, plus lots of parsley, balance everything out—helping our little anchovies shine the way they deserve to shine. Serve with dry white wine or, even better, Champagne. —Carolina Gelen

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Ingredients
  • Crostini
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup white miso
  • 2 tablespoons anchovy oil (from the cans used below)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 baguette (about 18 inches long), sliced into 1-inch-thick pieces
  • Anchovy-Parsley Salad
  • 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems (from 1 bunch parsley)
  • 1 1/2 (55-gram) cans anchovy fillets, roughly chopped (oil reserved for crostini)
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeño or Calabrian chile, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more as needed
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, toasted, for topping (optional)
Directions
  1. Heat the oven at 400°F.
  2. In a bowl, combine the butter, miso, anchovy oil, garlic, black pepper, and turmeric.
  3. Spread a thin layer of miso butter on top of each slice of bread (you won’t use it all, but in an airtight container, it’ll stay good in the fridge for several days), then place the bread, butter side up, on a sheet pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are slightly charred and crispy.
  4. In the meantime, combine all anchovy topping ingredients, except for the mustard seeds, in a bowl.
  5. Serve the crostini with a heaped tablespoon of anchovy topping on each slice, plus toasted mustard seeds on top, if you’re using them.

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Carolina is a resident at Food52. She's also one of the hosts of Choose Your Own Recipe Adventure, our YouTube show where our Food52 readers pick the ingredients and techniques for a brand new recipe. Carolina recently immigrated to the U.S. from Transylvania, a place she spent most of her life. She continues to get inspired by the classic Romanian and Hungarian foods she was raised on, creating approachable, colorful, and fun recipes. For more cooking ideas and candid moments, check out her Instagram @carolinagelen.

3 Reviews

Ellen R. August 7, 2024
I made this while vacationing at the Jersey shore with my family. Everyone loved it!!! It came together in a snap and it was oh so very flavorful and satisfying! Highly recommend this!
NicholeWtrMnt January 5, 2022
The is a fabulous recipe. Subbed sliced sourdough a few times and it’s great too.
MontreuilMom December 30, 2021
Just prepped the butter to make these tomorrow - if we can hold off from breading all over bread tonight ! Gorgeous !! Thanks !!