ANCHOVY SANDWICH
A classic early 20th-century anchovy sandwich in which wine-packed anchovies are rinsed in vinegar, soaked in olive oil, then deboned and served between thin slices of unbuttered bread. Simple yet boldly flavoured, it is finished with a single olive garnish.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets anchovies (packed in wine) (Use whole anchovies packed in wine or brine; the wine packing liquid will be discarded.)
- 2 tablespoons vinegar (Used to rinse and clean the anchovies after draining the wine.)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (Enough to submerge the anchovies for soaking; mellow extra-virgin olive oil works well.)
- 2 slices thin slices of unbuttered bread (Use a white or lightly textured sandwich loaf sliced thinly; do not butter.)
- 1 whole olive (Used as a garnish; a green or black olive both work.)
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Instructions
- 1Open the jar or tin of anchovies. Tip the anchovies into a small bowl and pour off all of the wine packing liquid, discarding it completely. This removes the strongest, sharpest brine and gives you a cleaner base flavour.
- 2Pour the vinegar over the drained anchovies in the bowl. Gently turn the anchovies with a spoon or your fingertips to coat them thoroughly, washing away any remaining wine and excess salt. Lift them out of the vinegar and set aside in a clean bowl; discard the used vinegar.
- 3Place the washed anchovies in a small, shallow bowl or dish. Pour the olive oil over them so they are fully submerged. Leave them to soak for 30 minutes at room temperature. The olive oil will mellow the anchovies, making them less sharp and giving them a silkier texture.
- 4Lift the anchovies out of the olive oil and lay them on a clean plate or cutting board. Using your fingers or a small knife, gently split each anchovy open lengthwise along its natural seam. Run your fingertip along the spine to find the thin backbone, then carefully lift and pull it out. Discard the bones. You should now have flat, boneless anchovy fillets.
- 5Lay the two thin slices of unbuttered bread on a clean surface. Arrange the deboned anchovy fillets in a single layer on one slice of bread, covering it evenly. Place the second slice of bread on top and press down gently to form a sandwich. Trim the crusts if you prefer a neater finish, then cut the sandwich in half diagonally or into quarters.
- 6Place the assembled sandwich on a plate and set a single whole olive beside or on top of the sandwich as a garnish. Serve immediately.
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