Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern has some unusual and unique food opinions. From his dislike of oatmeal for breakfast to his favorite fast food burger, he has never shied away from sharing his personal tastes with the world. Naturally, his go-to midnight snack is another unusual but tasty choice.
Simple, salty, and easy to assemble, Zimmern’s favorite late-night snack is grilled toast with butter and anchovies. Plenty of us might have buttered toast as a midnight snack, but likely noot many of us have thought to add anchovies to it. Of course, that’s part of what makes Zimmern’s decisions in the kitchen so special: His willingness to go about things a little differently than everyone else.
Some may balk at the idea of eating anchovies as part of any snack, but the idea isn’t exactly outrageous. Anchovies can add a savory flavor to all kinds of meals. For example, anchovies bring just the right boost of umami to steaks. Next time you’re craving a midnight snack, give Zimmern’s personal favorite a try.
Grilled toast with butter and anchovies
Andrew Zimmern’s favorite midnight snack actually stems from an iconic Italian dish. Known as pane, burro, e alice, which roughly translates to bread, butter, and anchovies, this dish is exactly as the name implies. It is simply crispy bread covered in butter and topped with a salted anchovy.
While this is the standard form of the snack, it absolutely doesn’t have to abide by this recipe alone. For instance, when trying it yourself, you can change up how you make the bread. Instead of toasting it then slathering it with butter, try grilling it already buttered. Since the ingredients are fairly simple, use quality ones; opt for an unsalted, European-style butter like Kerrygold for a more balanced final result, as the anchovies will lend plenty of saltiness on their own.
Alternatively, you can add all kinds of ingredients and toppings to make this snack customizable. Add tomato paste for some subtly sweet and acidic flavor, and a gorgeous burnt orange hue. For spiciness, make a compound butter with Calabrian chiles to lend the snack some heat. The list of possibilities goes on and on.
