Anchovy Lovers’ Crostini
Carolina Gelen
Photo by Carolina Gelen
- Serves
- 12 to 15 crostini
- Prep Time
- 10 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 Minutes
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.
Ingredients
Crostini
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup white miso
- 2 tablespoon 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 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, toasted, for topping (optional)
Featured Video
Anchovy Lovers’ Crostini
Directions
Instructions
- Step 1
Heat the oven at 400°F.
- Step 2
In a bowl, combine the butter, miso, anchovy oil, garlic, black pepper, and turmeric.
- Step 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.
- Step 4
In the meantime, combine all anchovy topping ingredients, except for the mustard seeds, in a bowl.
- Step 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.