How to grill anchovies (and other tiny fish)
Tiny forage fish such as anchovies and sardines – common names for a range of species of small oily fish within the herring family – are popular on restaurant menus, appealing to environmentally conscious diners and chefs focused on not only cultural tradition, but sustainability and manageable food costs. At Calgary's Pulcinella, there are tiny crisply fried anchovies with tomato sauce for dipping on the antipasti menu. Across the Bow River, sardine fillets topped with Portuguese molho verde and a spread of sautéed sardines, tomato sauce, garlic, chilis, lemon and olive oil are on offer at the city's new Bodega Tapas Bar.
Fresh anchovies and sardines can be tricky for home cooks to find because they're often used as bait, and with a shorter shelf life than larger fish, they rarely make it to the retail market. But marinated anchovies are easy to find, on the more affordable end of the seafood scale and shelf-stable, making them perfect to pull out of the pantry for a quick appetizer. Warming them in a small cast iron skillet on the grill allows the flavours of the other ingredients to more quickly infuse both fish and oil while adding a subtle smokiness. Mopping up the warm oil with soft, crusty, buttered bread is divine.
This recipe is flexible and can make use of any number of additions. So many ingredients pair well with tiny fish, especially lemon or other citrus, which you can throw on the grill to get smoky, charred and soft so that it squeezes more easily and releases more juice. Fresh herbs and chive blossoms from the garden, fresh or dried chilies, olives, capers, roasted peppers and sun-dried tomatoes are excellent, too. Also consider preserved lemon, kimchi and other intensely flavoured things you might find in your fridge, pantry or garden. And when you pour off the fishy oil your anchovies are packed in, it makes a perfect base for anchovy aioli or homemade Caesar dressing.
Preheat your grill to medium-high.
Remove the anchovy fillets from the oil they're packed in (save the oil for pasta or to make Caesar dressing) and place the anchovies in a small cast iron skillet or other cooking vessel suitable for the grill. Pour over a generous drizzle of olive oil, toss in some chopped or torn herbs, some finely chopped shallot or chives (and their blossoms), capers, chili flakes and anything else you like.
Place the lemon cut-side down on the grill and cook until it's soft and char-marked, then set aside to squeeze over the fish. (If you're doing this on the stovetop, the lemon can be similarly charred cut-side down in an oiled skillet set over medium-high heat, or you can use fresh lemon juice.) Place the skillet on the grill, close the lid and leave for several minutes, until warmed through.
Transfer the fillets and oil to serving dishes, squeeze over some lemon, and scatter over a few more fresh herbs or chive blossoms, if you like. Serve warm, with plain or buttered bread. Serves about six.
If you have leftovers, blend all of it – the anchovies, herbs and the lemony, chili-flecked oil – in a food processor with softened butter. (Toss a crushed small clove of garlic in there, too, if you like.) Pulse until well-blended, then scrape into a ramekin or onto a piece of parchment and shape into a log to refrigerate. Use it to cook other fish, mussels or clams, to top vegetables or pasta, spread onto soft bread or make garlic toast.
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