Anchovies are one of the most underrated ingredients in cooking, and they are often one of the secret ingredients used to give restaurant dishes an extra kick. They are very salty, but they also bring a umami flavor which is basically a deep and savory. Here’s three examples of how you can use anchovies to give your cooking a deeper flavor.
Mix them into sauces
Anchovies are a great addition to most tomato sauces. You can use anchovy paste or melt a tin of anchovies into your tomato sauce early on to bring a deep umami flavor. If you use them sparingly, you can achieve an amazingly savory flavor profile without introducing an unwanted fishiness. However, if you are making a fish-sauce, anchovies will bring both umami flavor and fishiness and are an essential ingredient.
Use them with your marinades
If you are marinading meat or vegetables, perhaps with garlic, oil and fresh herbs, you can add anchovies into the mix by rubbing them on your meat or vegetables to add a deliciously salty and savory flavor whilst they roast. This is a great way to infuse your meat or vegetables with a deep flavor.
Cook them with your vegetables
Whilst frying your vegetables, you can chuck in minced anchovies or anchovy paste to introduce a richer flavor that will have people wanting to know your secret. This is a delicious and healthy way to make your vegetables the star of the show and will go well with most vegetables, especially spinach, tenderstem broccoli and zucchini.
