Baked stuffed anchovies Catania style are an affordable and impressive fish main dish, both for their characteristic appearance and undeniable taste.
Instead of frying, I prefer baking, which allows me to obtain a healthier dish and avoids the smell of fried food lingering all day in the house.
The anchovies must be very fresh, with firm flesh and a sea scent. Ask your trusted fishmonger to gut and bone them, leaving them attached on one side (the so-called “book opening”) and do not remove the tails.
According to the Catanese recipe, the anchovies are filled with a soft and fragrant stuffing of parsley and garlic.
Baking will preserve the nutritional properties of the anchovies, which frying largely destroys. In summer, they are one of the fish mains I love to prepare and eat the most, so I recommend trying them!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very affordable
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 380.93 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 34.17 (g) of which sugars 4.29 (g)
- Proteins 29.75 (g)
- Fat 13.11 (g) of which saturated 5.34 (g)of which unsaturated 4.93 (g)
- Fibers 2.11 (g)
- Sodium 647.13 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 157 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
- 14.1 oz anchovies (cleaned and boned leaving the tail)
- 2.8 oz stale bread crumbs
- 0.63 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 1.41 oz Grana Padano PDO (grated)
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 garlic
- 2.8 oz breadcrumbs (to be mixed with 2 tablespoons of grated Grana Padano and salt)
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
- as needed black pepper
Tools
- Baking Sheet oven
Preparation
Soak the stale bread crumbs in warm water.
Wash the anchovies and finally give them a last rinse with a mix of water and vinegar, then drain well.
When the crumbs are well swollen and softened, squeeze them and add finely chopped parsley and garlic with a knife on a cutting board, a pinch of salt, grated Grana, the 2 eggs, and black pepper to taste.
Mix well with your hands and when you have a homogeneous and soft mixture, but with some body, place part of it on an anchovy opened like a book.
Press the filling with your hands to shape it onto the anchovy.
The thickness of the filling should be just under 0.4 inches to avoid extending cooking times.
Cover with another anchovy opened like a book, then coat the stuffed anchovy with breadcrumbs (mixed with grated Grana and salt) on both sides.
Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
When you’re done, drizzle olive oil over the anchovies and bake at 356°F for about 30/35 minutes in the middle part of the oven.
Adjust according to your oven and the thickness of the filling.
If preferred, you can add the oil halfway through cooking when you turn the anchovies.
Serve the baked stuffed anchovies Catania style with a few drops of lemon and another drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.
Storage
In the fridge well sealed for one day.
In the fridge well sealed for one day.
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