Crispy and tasty anchovy meatballs. I often notice when talking to many people that it’s a widespread opinion that cooking fish is difficult or requires particular culinary skills. But I can assure you that’s not the case at all; we certainly won’t become star chefs, but we can easily prepare a fish-based main course for our family that’s tasty and special. What I want to tell you today is a simple recipe with anchovies. A fish often underestimated, but very tasty and also inexpensive, which doesn’t hurt in these times. Anchovies are part of the blue fish category and are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, important for heart and artery health, proteins, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and selenium. Many reasons to include them often in our diet. The longest and most complex operation in this recipe is just cleaning and deboning the fish, but I’ll explain how to do it or, more simply, ask your trusted fishmonger for help. Few and simple ingredients to prepare fish meatballs that everyone likes. I baked them, but you can also fry them or cook them in an air fryer, a nice compromise between frying and baking. If you prepare them in advance, you can also freeze them so they’re ready to cook. Have I convinced you to try them yet? Let’s run to the kitchen and prepare some delicious anchovy meatballs together.
AND DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES TOO:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 130.64 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 9.85 (g) of which sugars 1.53 (g)
- Proteins 11.33 (g)
- Fat 5.17 (g) of which saturated 1.54 (g)of which unsaturated 1.50 (g)
- Fibers 0.58 (g)
- Sodium 257.28 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Anchovy Meatballs
- 14 oz anchovies
- 1 egg
- 1.75 oz breadcrumbs (of bread)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig parsley
- 2.1 oz breadcrumbs
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
How to Make Anchovy Meatballs
First, clean the anchovies. Clean them by removing the head, spine, and innards. Wash the anchovies well and dry them on kitchen paper. Place them on a cutting board and cut them into small pieces with a knife. I prefer not to grind them because I like having larger pieces, but if you prefer, you can also choose to chop them in a mixer.
Transfer the anchovies to a bowl. Add a pinch of salt, one egg, one minced garlic clove, and chopped parsley.
Also, add the bread crumbs in small pieces and mix. Finish the preparation by adding 2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and mix well.
Now, prepare the Anchovy Meatballs. Take a small amount of mixture and compress it between your hands to form a slightly flattened ball. Pass it in the breadcrumbs, making sure it sticks well on all sides.
Prepare all the meatballs in the same way and place them side by side in an oiled baking tray. Drizzle them with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Cook the Anchovy Meatballs in a preheated oven at 374°F (static mode) for 22-24 minutes or until golden brown.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, a hug, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
For air fryer cooking, let them cook for 16-18 minutes at 374°F, or you can fry them in hot vegetable oil and then drain them on kitchen paper.
If you prefer, you can also add 1.4 oz of grated Parmesan to the meatball mixture.
If you don’t like the taste of garlic, you can simply omit it in the preparation.
If there are leftover meatballs, store them in the refrigerator in a container for 1-2 days. Just reheat them for a few minutes in a hot oven or microwave.
Don’t miss the recipe for Cod and Potato Meatballs
