Salted anchovies compare to tinned anchovy fillets in much the same way as a single estate extra virgin olive oil compares to pure olive oil: they may sound the same, but there is little comparison. Salted anchovies are subtle and powerful, their saltiness enhancing a dish in a unforgettable way. I can still remember the first time I tasted leg of lamb roasted with salted anchovies, and the piquant flavour the anchovies gave the gravy. The chap who cooked it for us had great fun teasing us, asking: "Come on, come on, what's the secret ingredient?", and of course because the anchovies disappear in cooking, it was an impossible question. Salted anchovies are a cinch to handle. Simply open the tin and pour off any liquid. Then pack them tightly into a plastic, covered container, and pack with lots more salt - I use Maldon sea salt for this, simply because it is easier to rub the salt crystals off the fish and back into the container when it comes time to use them.
So, when it is time to cook, just dust the salt off, then rinse them under a cold tap. Detach the head, if it is still on, and with your thumbnail pull the top of the fillet away from the backbone, pulling it towards the tail - it should detach easily. Hold the tail-fin, then pull the backbone away from the other fillet. It is the work of a minute. Some people then advise that you soak the fillets in water with a slice of lemon for half an hour, but I don't think this is necessary. The remaining fillets should be covered over again with the salt and replaced in the fridge for storage. They keep for months.
While anchovy fillets, preserved in oil, are widely available (and do take care when buying them: quality varies wildly, and basically the more you pay, the more you get) salted anchovies are just beginning to make their way into our specialist shops. Sheridans Cheesemongers in South Anne Street, Dublin (tel.: 01 6793143) and Kirwan's Lane, Galway (tel: 091 564829) stock them, as do Feasts Delicatessen, on Belfast's Dublin Road (tel: 0801232 332787).
As leg of lamb with anchovies was my own first introduction to the magic of salted anchovies, let us start with that fabulous combination. My recipe for this classic is simple - just garlic, anchovies, wine and meat. You can add rosemary, you can add lemon juice to the gravy, but I feel both are superfluous. If you want an accompaniment, then blanch un-peeled cloves of garlic and roast them with the lamb until oozingly tender. Mashed potato is de rigeur for mopping up the gravy.
Roast leg of lamb with salted anchovies and garlic
1 small leg of lamb, 4-5lbs
2 salted anchovies
3 cloves garlic
1/3 bottle dry white wine
Pre-heat the oven to 220C/450F/Gas7. Fillet the anchovies as described in the introduction, then chop each of the four fillets into four small pieces, 16 in all. Peel the garlic and cut each clove into four splinter-shaped pieces, 16 in all. With the point of a small, sharp knife, puncture the leg of lamb in sixteen places, and into each incision insert firstly the piece of anchovy and then the slice of garlic. Place the leg in a deep-ish roasting pan, sprinkle with freshly grated black pepper, and pour the wine around. Don't salt the lamb - the anchovies will do this for you. Place in the oven, and roast for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4, and roast for a further hour, basting the lamb with the juices periodically. When the lamb is ready, remove it from the oven and leave it in a warm place for 15 minutes to rest. The roasting tin will now contain a deliciously flavourful gravy. Keep it warm. If you find it too dilute, you could pour it into a saucepan and reduce over heat, or whisk in some butter over medium heat. Personally, I like it quite thin, as the flavour is strong.
Slice the lamb, place on warmed plates, and spoon the gravy over. Put a good scoop of floury mash on the plate, and get ready to tease everybody about the secret ingredient.
Salted anchovy and tomato pasta sauce
This is a classic pasta sauce, fast to prepare and proof of just how much anchovies like tomatoes. You could alter this - and make it even quicker to cook - by adding sliced fresh tomatoes to the garlic-anchovy-oil base for the sauce, and cooking for just a few minutes until the tomatoes soften, in which guise it is not merely a fine pasta sauce, but can even play partner to grilled beef.
2 cloves garlic
1 400g tin of tomatoes, cut up with their juice
2 salted anchovies
4 tablespoons olive oil
handful chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper and salt
Slice the garlic very fine, fillet the anchovies as described above, then chop finely. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat and fry the garlic just until it begins to turn golden, then throw in the anchovies, reduce the heat, and stir and mash the anchovies with a spoon until they dissolve. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, adjust the heat to a steady simmer, grind in some pepper, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced somewhat, thickened somewhat, and the oil floats free. Check the seasoning - you may find you need a little salt for your own preference. Serve with cooked, drained pasta, turning the pasta over in the sauce, and sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
I like to serve this with penne, particularly the Noodle House penne made by Ingrid Basler in Co. Sligo, which you will find in many whole-food stores.