Anchovies Fried in Batter
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean the anchovies thoroughly and soak them in spring water for 2 to 6 hours.
Wipe the anchovies dry, open them, and remove the backbones without dividing the fish.
Season the insides with cayenne pepper.
Fry
Close the anchovies and dip them into the batter.
Fry the anchovies until they are a pale amber color, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Anchovies
- The main fish, whose delicate flesh becomes tender and sweet when fried.
- French batter or light english batter
- Forms a light crisp coating that seals in moisture while the fish fries.
The step that matters
Fry the anchovies until pale amber. Frying only until pale amber keeps the batter crisp and the thin fish tender. Frying longer risks dry, overcooked fish and a darker, bitter coating.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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