Salty and piquant, these little fish add something special to pizzas and salad nicoise. But they are much more versatile than that. Lorna Wing presents more refreshing ideas for the products you always have – but forget to use!

 

MAKE a vinaigrette for a nicoise salad, blanched French beans or grilled aubergine slices by combining 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, a few chopped anchovies and chopped fresh parsley or coriander.

CREAM unsalted butter, chopped anchovies and chopped fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of Tabasco and use for spreading over grilled lamb, beef or tuna and salmon steaks.

SERVE anchovy fillets on slivers of hot buttered toast, sprinkled with snipped fresh chives, as an appetiser

COMBINE a few chopped anchovies, double cream, crushed garlic and freshly ground black pepper in a small pan, gently simmer for a few minutes, until lightly thickened, and use as a dip for raw vegetables or as a sauce spooned over a poached egg sitting on wilted spinach on a toasted muffin.

MARINATE anchovy fillets in a herby French dressing for a couple of hours, then drain and dry well. Dip into a fritter batter and quickly deep-fry. Drain on kitchen paper and serve as a canape. 

LAYER sliced potatoes and onions with anchovies, double cream and black pepper in a gratin dish and bake in a moderate oven until tender and golden.

STUFF a large pitted olive with an anchovy, then lightly flour, egg and breadcrumb and deep fry at 190 C, 375 F for a couple of minutes, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve piping hot. Great for nibbles with drinks.

FRY breadcrumbs in butter until golden, then mix with chopped anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, chilli and parsley. Tastes delicious scattered over florets of cooked broccoli and cauliflower.

LIGHTLY grill sliced ciabatta and serve with tomato halves and peeled garlic cloves for guests to rub and flavour the bread, before smearing with finely chopped anchovies and dousing with extra virgin olive oil.

ENCLOSE an anchovy fillet in a thin strip of puff pastry, brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 220C, 425F, gas mark 7 for 10 minutes, until golden. Serve with drinks

COAT tubular pasta in a sauce of finely sliced onions, garlic and chopped anchovies that have been slowly sweated in olive oil until really soft. Loosen the sauce with just a few spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water, and add some olives and capers, if you want.

SPOON softly scrambled eggs onto multigrain toast and garnish with a criss cross of anchovies for a delicious fishy breakfast.

SPREAD thinly sliced bread (crusts removed) with Dijon mustard, sprinkle with grated mature cheddar and place an anchovy fillet on top. Roll up, brush with melted butter, place on a baking tray and bake at 190C, 375F, gas mark 5 for 6-8 minutes. Good served hot with a glass of beer.

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TINNED ANCHOVIES GO WITH

• Lamb, beef and veal
• Salmon, tuna and red mullet
• Potatoes, pizza
• Tomatoes, aubergines, red peppers and courgettes
• Garlic, olives and capers
• Rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley
• Basil, coriander and chives
• French beans, carrots and fennel
• Chillies
• Salad leaves
• Broccoli, cauliflower and spinach
• Butter, cream and olive oil
• Hollandaise sauce
• Puff pastry
• Toast, muffins and breadcrumbs
• Eggs
• Pasta
• Cheddar and parmesan

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Food expert Lorna Wing teaches cookery online via WhatsApp to tech-savvy teens doing their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, plus others wanting an essential life skill and kitchen confidence. Prue Leith, Rick Stein and Delia Smith all think what she’s doing is brilliant.www.lornawingcookery.co.uk  020 8871 2507