Anchovies For Elixir

Asked by RudieFoodie. Answered on 5th June 2021

Full question

Card carrying member here...I eat anchovies as a little snack alongside crunchy things and a glass of white wine, Prosecco or a cocktail! I have Cook, Eat, Repeat and I cannot wait to make the Anchovy Elixir, but I can't find salt packed anchovies anywhere. Could it be made with the anchovy fillets in olive oil found in jars or little tins?

Anchovy Elixir

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Anchovy Elixir (from COOK, EAT, REPEAT) is a garlicky sauce that is deeply savoury thanks to the inclusion of anchovies. It can be used as a dip for crudites or as a sauce over roasted or grilled meats or over steamed vegetables, or with pretty much anything you would like to serve it with.

Nigella's recipe uses 100g of salt-packed anchovies and in the UK these can usually be bought on-line. It would be our preference to use these if at all possible. However if they are too elusive then it is possible to use the type packed in oil. The regular 50g supermarket tins usually yield around 30g of anchovies, so you would need about 3½ tins. The jars vary in size so try to check the drained weight of the anchovies when purchasing, to ensure that you have enough. Drain the anchovies well before using them for the Elixir. We would suggest refrigerating the left-over oil for up to a week and using it for other dressings or to brush on to chicken or beef before roasting.