If you typically enjoy Southwestern dishes that exude bold flavors, you’re probably a big fan of Master Chef Bobby Flay. Through his debut of top-rated restaurants in New York City, as well as playing a primary role in multiple shows on the Food Network, Flay has garnered a high-standing reputation over the years. That being said, he also functions as a lowkey home chef when he’s not at work.
Specifically, in one Instagram video for Misfits Market, Flay records a tour of his pantry and highlights one beloved, secret ingredient: anchovies. Next to cans of chickpeas, tomatoes from Italy, and jars of Calabrian peppers, the celebrity chef believes anchovies add both depth and flavor to a variety of dishes. Flay goes so far as to claim that most people don’t realize how much he uses anchovies in everyday meals.
While Bobby Flay’s list of favorite ingredients includes condiments such as barbecue sauce, curry paste, and mustard, anchovies are an ingredient that can be used whole or chopped. In the Instagram video, Flay notes how he especially enjoys adding diced anchovies to seafood-inspired dishes: Flay’s one-of-a-kind recipes include lobster fettuccine with anchovy breadcrumbs and grilled seafood with anchovy butter. To make this savory compound butter, simply combine room temperature butter, anchovies, and select seasonings in a food processor. That being said, if you’re up for adding anchovies to more of your favorite dishes, you have many options to consider beyond the world of seafood.
How to incorporate anchovies into everyday meals
Since jarred anchovies are salt-cured and typically stored in olive oil, you only need a small amount to add a much needed boost of flavor to the simplest combination of foods. For more practical applications, serve whole anchovies on avocado toast or Bobby Flay’s favorite Italian sandwich with porchetta or crispy pork loin, stracciatella, and pesto. You can also add chopped anchovies to your next Mediterranean salad with olives, roasted red peppers, and feta cheese. Beyond serving them on a standard bed of greens, anchovies also add a rich and savory kick to homemade Caesar salad. Add whole anchovies to the classic mix of chopped romaine, croutons, and parmesan cheese, or incorporate some salty minced fish directly into your Caesar dressing.
You can also use anchovies to doctor up your next batch of tomato sauce. After sautéing onions and garlic, throw in a few chopped anchovies for a significant upgrade. Then, once everything is melded together in hot oil, add your tomatoes. Better yet, use this tinned fish to make specialized pasta dishes such as spaghetti puttanesca, which is made with anchovies, capers, and olives. You can even add chopped anchovies to traditional favorites such as pasta carbonara, fettuccine Alfredo, and penne arrabbiata. Last but not least, there are a few surprising ways you can use the leftover oil from canned anchovies, such as adding it to popcorn, chicken, or your next pot of vegetable soup.
