The potato and fresh anchovy pie is a complete and easy-to-make fish main course.
Most of the time spent preparing this dish will be on cleaning the anchovies. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to do it, and then it’s all downhill. Boil the potatoes and prepare the special filling to put between each layer of the pie, which I often use in baked vegetables.
The potato and fresh anchovy pie is great for any occasion, even special ones during the holidays, because it can be prepared in advance and baked just before serving. It’s an economical fish dish that will make you rediscover the potential of fresh anchovies, being delicate and tasty at the same time. Another simple fish dish to make is fried golden red mullets or the delicious lemon gratinated salmon trout.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 21 oz potatoes
- 18 oz fresh anchovies
- to taste olive oil
- 5 oz breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps sweet mustard
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- bunches chopped parsley (1 bunch)
- to taste salt and pepper
Steps
Boil the potatoes in water, whole and with their skins on.
Meanwhile, clean the fresh anchovies, starting by washing them under running water.
Remove the head and guts; you can easily do this by hand as anchovies are very tender.
Then, again by hand, open the anchovy, separating the central spine and detaching it toward the tail.
If you’ve done this gently, you will have two perfectly cleaned halves of the anchovy joined by the tail. If the anchovies are small, you can leave the tail; otherwise, cut it.Prepare the filling by placing the breadcrumbs in a bowl, along with the oil, mustard, vinegar, a handful of chopped parsley, garlic (also chopped), salt, and pepper to taste.
Mix well and set aside.Drain the potatoes, let them cool, and peel them.
Slice them.
The thickness should be about 0.16 inches, not too thick nor too thin.Prepare a baking dish, I prefer one made of glass about 7.87 x 4.72 inches.
Grease the base with a drizzle of oil and sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs on top.
Place the first layer of sliced potatoes, covering the entire bottom. Add a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of oil.
For the second layer, place the cleaned anchovies in a row without overlapping them.
Cover the anchovies with a layer of filling made with breadcrumbs.
Then start layering again with potatoes, ending with anchovies, filling, and finish with potatoes.
Drizzle the pie with a little olive oil and sprinkle the surface with chopped parsley.
Preheat the oven to 356 degrees Fahrenheit and once hot, bake the potato and anchovy pie.
Bake until cooked and golden, about 30-40 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly, and serve.
