Italian cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Alici Ammollicate

Calabrian anchovies layered and baked under a blanket of breadcrumbs, garlic and lemon.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g fresh anchovies
• 120 g breadcrumbs
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 organic lemons
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 80 ml olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Remove the heads from the anchovies, open them with your thumb, pull out the backbone, and rinse the fillets under cold water and pat dry.
2. Finely chop the garlic, chop the parsley, and mix both with the breadcrumbs, chili flakes, zest of one lemon, salt and pepper.
3. Coat a shallow baking dish with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with a third of the breadcrumb mixture.
4. Layer the anchovy fillets skin-side down in a shingle pattern, drizzle with the juice of half a lemon, salt, and sprinkle with half of the remaining breadcrumbs.
5. Add a second layer of fish, cover with the rest of the breadcrumbs, drizzle evenly with the remaining olive oil, and bake at 200°C for 18–20 min until the top is golden and crisp.
6. Let cool for 5 min and serve warm with wedges of the second lemon — this is when the crumb topping tastes best.