Six recipes show how anchovies or anchovy paste can quietly up the umami in all kinds of dishes, from pot roast to pasta to duck.
YES, ANCHOVIES CAN MAKE THEIR PRESENCE KNOWN, as a pizza topping, for instance. But they can also melt and disappear into a dish, delivering a delicious savoriness that salt alone cannot—and without any fishiness.
Anchovies are convenient too. You can buy fillets in tins, or tubes of anchovy paste—a teaspoon of paste equals a teaspoon of finely chopped tinned fillets. And both keep quite well in the fridge after opening. So get your umami on. Here are six recipes to get you started.
Layered Pot Roast with Anchovies, Capers and Garlic
Cool autumn weather and memories of the lovely pot roast pictured above recently had us thinking about meat—and what anchovies can do to it. This simple, delicious pot roast hails from the south of France.
Linguine with Red Clam Sauce
By keeping a few simple canned ingredients in your pantry—tomatoes with green chiles, anchovies, minced clams—you can have this quick, lively pasta in under a half an hour. We keep this dish in regular rotation.
Osso Buco with Gremolata
This version of the classic Northern Italian favorite, osso buco, uses slow oven braising to make the meat flavorful, fork tender and moist. And yes, anchovies add to its exquisite umami.
Duck Ragu with Brown Ale and Pasta
Ground duck, brown ale and an international mix of umami-rich ingredients create a robust ragu, putting a delicious spin on traditional Bolognese sauce.
Wine-braised Short Ribs with Parsnips
Beef short ribs are slow braised with red wine, beef stock, parsnips, shallots, onion, garlic and anchovies (for added umami). Serve this dish for company and accept the compliments graciously.
Midnight Spaghetti
This pasta gets its romantic-sounding name from the fact that it’s so simple to make, you can cook it late at night, presumably drunk. Olive oil, garlic, capers, anchovy fillets, red pepper flakes, Parmesan and parsley make Midnight Spaghetti lively and delicious.
I always have a tube of anchovy paste in my refrigerator. You’re right — you can’t really taste the anchovy in the finished dish, you just taste _something_. Nice collection of recipe. I’m been hankering after linguine with a red clam sauce lately, so your recipe will be an inspiration. Thanks!