The oven-baked breaded anchovies without eggs are crispy and light.
I use a homemade breading: healthy and simple, tasty and light based on whole wheat breadcrumbs.
Don’t forget to account for the breading in the total carbohydrate count of your meal.
Anchovies or anchovies are similar to sardines and with them belong to the category of bluefish; they are recommended as a low-calorie food, rich in nutrients with an excellent content of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
You can buy fresh anchovies and ask to have them filleted or buy them frozen and already filleted.
- 11 oz anchovies (or filleted anchovies)
- to taste lemon juice
- to taste breadcrumbs (or whole wheat breadcrumbs)
- 1 tbsp cheese (grated: Grana or Parmesan)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- to taste chopped parsley
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (raw)
Suggested Tools
- Baking Tray 10×11.5 inches
- Parchment Paper
Preparation
If you buy frozen filleted anchovies, move them to the fridge the night before cooking.
If you buy fresh whole anchovies, you can ask the fishmonger to fillet them.
Or:
– clean the anchovy fillets by pulling away the head and guts;
– remove the bone;
– rinse the anchovy fillets under running water and let them drain in a colander;
– pat the residual water with kitchen paper towels, they must be very dry.Take the anchovies out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking.
Transfer the anchovies to a bowl and drizzle them with lemon juice.
In a plate, pour:
– breadcrumbs or whole wheat breadcrumbs;
– grated cheese;
– salt;
– pepper;
– chopped parsley;
and mix.Line a wide baking tray – the breaded anchovies should not be overlapped – with a sheet of parchment paper.
For each anchovy:
– remove the fillet from the lemon juice and drain;
– open the fillet like a book;
– bread on both sides: pass them in the breading pressing to make it adhere well.Arrange the breaded anchovies on the baking tray in a single layer, avoiding overlapping them.
Preheat the oven.
Bake in a fan oven at 356°F for 20 minutes until golden and the desired crispness.For a crispier and more golden breading: remove a couple of minutes before, spray or drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and complete the cooking.
Serve.
Grind a little more pepper, add chopped parsley, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.Your oven-baked breaded anchovies without eggs are ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Storage, Tips, and Variations
You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version.
You can omit the cheese.
You can flavor the breading with herbs and spices as you like.
For an even more fragrant breading, you can add grated lemon zest.
Cooked breaded anchovies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for one day.
Reheat them for a few minutes in a hot oven to restore crispness.
FAQ
What is the difference between anchovies and anchovies?
Anchovies and anchovies are the same fish; however, the name anchovies is often associated with fish filleted and preserved in oil, while the name anchovies is associated with fish preserved in salt.
The difference is instead between anchovies or anchovies and sardines which belong to two different families.Industrial Breadings vs. Homemade Breadings
Industrial breadings contain potato starch, are pre-fried, rich in fats, salts, and calories.
To bread my anchovies, I used a homemade breading: simple, light, and healthy based on whole wheat breadcrumbs and I made it adhere with lemon juice.
No oil in cooking, I add a drizzle just out of the oven.Can I cook breaded anchovies in an air fryer?
Yes.
Follow the instructions – program, temperature, and times – indicated in your appliance’s user manual.
Check the cooking degree from time to time.
Generally, with an air fryer, cooking times are reduced:
– in a fan oven at 356°F for 20 minutes;
– in an air fryer at 320°F for 16 minutes.
