10 Delicious Ways to Incorporate Anchovies Into Your Diet

10 Delicious Ways to Incorporate Anchovies Into Your Diet

Anchovies are a delicious and nutritious addition to any diet! They might get a bad rap for being too salty or too fishy, but buying quality anchovies and finding the right recipe is the key. 

Anchovies are a great choice for anyone looking to add some extra flavor to their diet. They are an easy choice for adding protein to a meal. Since they are cooked and canned (or a paste), they are shelf-stable and always ready to go.

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An extra healthy seafood

Nutrition is another great reason to incorporate anchovies into your diet. These tiny fish are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and lots of minerals. The benefits of adding anchovies can be huge. These may include improving the health of your heart, eyes, thyroid, and brain.

Another reason anchovies make a great addition to your diet is their relatively low mercury content. This makes anchovies a great way to get the benefits of eating seafood, without eating more mercury. 

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A Versatile Ingredient

Anchovies are used in a wide range of different global cuisines. Recipes that take advantage of this salty and flavorful fish span from Sweden to Malaysia! The Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal, has a long history of using anchovies and many other types of seafood.

Anchovies are rich in flavor. A little bit goes a long way with these little fish! Though their flavor is powerful, they can complement many flavors. Anchovies are often paired with citrus, garlic, vinegar, or other strong flavors.

Anchovies come in either cans or a paste. It is important to check what type of anchovies you need for the recipe you choose!

Here are our top favorite 10 anchovy recipes. Why not add anchovies to your diet with these delicious options?

  1. Pasta with Garlic, Anchovy, and Capers

A good pasta recipe is a great way to make a meal that is both tasty and quick! This recipe from the New York Times Cooking section is no exception! It pairs chopped anchovy filets with capers, red pepper, and parsley for a pasta dish that is simple but flavorful!

  1. Caesar Dressing

The caesar salad is one of the most famous uses of anchovies. A good Caesar dressing can turn a simple bed of leafy greens into a flavorful experience! This recipe from Bon Appetit makes it easy to make a rich and delicious dressing at home.

The combination of the intensely savory flavor of anchovies fillets with dijon mustard and lemon juice is delicious! Give this recipe a try the next time you want to make a tasty salad.

  1. Marinated Anchovies with Bread and Butter

Though it may sound simple, anchovies are delicious on buttered bread! This recipe from Bon Appetit has you marinate your anchovy fillets for 5 minutes in a mixture of vinegar, lemon, and pepperoncini. 

  1. Lemon-Anchovy Vinaigrette

Caesar isn’t the only dressing where anchovies can shine! Try out this simple salad dressing if you love the flavor of anchovies. It pairs anchovies with lemon and red peppers.

  1. Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Slaw

This fresh and crunchy salad is a great choice for a potluck, as it can be made 1 day ahead. It simply combines broccoli and brussels sprouts with an anchovy based dressing.

  1. Nasi Lemak

This Malaysian rice dish uses fried anchovies and spicy peppers for a flavorful (and very hot) meal. This recipe takes a few steps, so it’s important to plan ahead. It’s also worth noting that you may want to tone down the spice if you’re not a fan of extra hot food.

  1. Lamb Cutlets with Flavored Butter

In this recipe from lovefood.com, anchovies (along with some other flavors) are used to make flavored butter. Though they use the butter on lamb chops, it could be paired with any number of other foods. Adding anchovies to butter is a great way to spread their flavor out.

  1. Pasta Puttanesca

This dish is Italian for “whore’s pasta” as it was supposedly dreamed up by prostitutes who didn’t have time to shop. It is made with only shelf-stable ingredients, most of which you probably have lying around already! This makes it a great choice for when you’re running low on groceries. 

  1. Cheesy Crab Gratin

This Swedish dish pairs two flavorful and delicious kinds of seafood, anchovies, and crabs! It would traditionally use a salty Swedish cheese called Vasterbotten. But, parmesan works just fine! This dish is rich and creamy and would be great on a cold winter night (no wonder it comes from Sweden!)

  1. Salmon Niçoise Salad

This take on the classic niçoise salad uses anchovy to add some savory flavor to its dressing. The anchovy is paired with basil, scallions, red wine vinegar, and garlic. This dressing is made to pair with the niçoise salad, but could also be made alone as a general-purpose salad dressing.

As these diverse recipes show, anchovies can be used in a wide array of dishes. They can provide a savory kick to just about any type of cuisine. 

These recipes can serve as inspiration for your own creative uses of anchovies. Pair them with vinegar, citrus, garlic, and other strong flavors to give your favorite dish some intensity!

 

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