Anchovies cooked in lemon is a simple, quick and delicious Italian seafood recipe. This dish brings out the fresh flavor of the fish using basic ingredients like oil, garlic and lemon.
To get the most out of this lemon anchovy dish, make sure the anchovies are fresh and properly cleaned. After cleaning, open the anchovies and cook them quickly in a pan with oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest. The cooking time should be very short, less than a minute.
This dish is simple but full of flavor! Cleaning the fish may seem tedious, but it is not difficult. If your fishmonger can clean them for you, even better!Anchovies and sardines are very popular in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. They are part of a group of oily fish known in Italy as "pesce azzurro". These fish are loved throughout Italy, from the northern regions to the southern ones, even in areas without coastlines.
There are many traditional recipes for anchovies and sardines, including fried, marinated, stuffed (like Sarde a Beccafico), used in pasta dishes (Pasta con le Sarde), or baked in casseroles (Baked Sardines).
The popularity of anchovies and sardines in Italy is due to their abundance in local waters, their delicious taste and their health benefits.
If you enjoy "pesce azzurro" with its distinctive strong flavor and numerous benefits, you must try Anchovies Cooked in Lemon recipe.
Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 Min | Cook Time: 3 Min | Servings: 4
- 500 g (1.1 pound) of fresh anchovies. The weight is approximate.The amount depends very much on the size of the fish and the use you will make of it. As a main course, calculate about 5 per person. As an appetizer 2-3.
- 1 organic lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Step 1) - First clean the anchovies. Place one anchovy at a time on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to open the belly and remove the guts, then cut off the head and finally remove the backbone.
Rinse under running water, then open the anchovies, taking care not to break them, and blot with kitchen paper to dry the water. Set aside.
Step 2) - Squeeze the juice from the organic lemon. Then grate the zest and set aside.
NOTE: If the lemon is large, you may only need to grate half of it. Be sure to use an organic lemon as we will be using the zest and not just the juice.
Step 3) - Take a non-stick frying pan, pour in the extra virgin olive oil and add the peeled garlic clove. Heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes so that the garlic releases its aroma into the oil.
Add the anchovy fillets to the hot oil. They will cook in about 30 seconds.
Step 4) - When you see them begin to turn white, add the lemon juice and gently flip them to the other side. Turn off the heat immediately.
Add a pinch of salt and the grated lemon zest (while the pan is still hot, but with the heat off).
Serve the lemon anchovies with a few spoonfuls of their cooking juices and enjoy!
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- Breaded Fried Anchovies Italian recipe
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- Baked Monkfish with lemon, rosemary and breadcrumbs
- Spaghetti with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs
- Orecchiette with Broccoli, Anchovies and Tomatoes
Storage
You can store lemon anchovies in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Variations
- Spicy Flavor: If you enjoy a spicy kick, you can include chili pepper in your dish. Due to the quick cooking time, it's best to use chili powder or hot oil. Fresh whole chili peppers won't have enough time to release their heat and flavor.
- Enhance with Herbs: A touch of oregano or parsley can enhance the dish. Both of these herbs pair nicely with lemon, adding a fresh, aromatic touch.
- Citrus Variations: If you prefer a different citrus flavor, you can swap lemon with orange or even mix the two. This gives a unique twist to the dish.
- Increase the Sauce: To create more sauce without using too much lemon, add a little dry white wine (about 50 ml - ~3 tablespoons) when deglazing the fish. This will balance the flavors and provide extra liquid.
- Alternative Fish Choices: You can easily substitute sardines for anchovies in this recipe. Very often there is confusion between these two types of fish or people think they are synonymous. In reality, sardines and anchovies are different fish, belonging to two distinct families. They are actually very similar and in cooking they lend themselves to the same recipes. You can also use sardines for the lemon anchovies recipe I showed you. Mackerel is also a good choice, but it will need a slightly longer cooking time, about 5-6 minutes per side, depending on the fish's size.
How to Serve
You can enjoy lemon anchovies hot just cooked or even cold.
They are perfect as a main course with a side dish of fresh vegetables or as an appetizer for a seafood dinner.
Curiosities
Anchovies and sardines have been valued since ancient Greek times, even before the Romans, and there is plenty of evidence to support this.
Today, you can still see these old traditions in places like Marina di Pisciotta in Campania. Here, they still use the Menaica net to catch anchovies. The preparation starts as soon as the fish are caught. Once the anchovies are on the boat, they are processed using ancient Greek methods to preserve them in oil or salt for a long time.
These preservation traditions are not just in Campania; they can be found all over Italy, in places like Calabria, Tuscany, Liguria, and more.
In Sicily, anchovies and sardines, known as “pesce azzurro,” were once considered the "bread of the poor." The tradition is so important here that there is even an Anchovy Museum dedicated to preserving the history and work of the fishermen.
Recipe Card
Delicious Anchovies Cooked in Lemon
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh anchovies - 1.1 pound (The weight is approximate.The amount depends very much on the size of the fish and the use you will make of it. As a main course, calculate about 5 per person. As an appetizer 2-3)
- 1 organic lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt - to taste
Instructions
- First clean the anchovies. Place one anchovy at a time on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to open the belly and remove the guts, then cut off the head and finally remove the backbone.
- Rinse under running water, then open the anchovies, taking care not to break them, and blot with kitchen paper to dry the water. Set aside.
- Squeeze the juice from the organic lemon. Then grate the zest and set aside.
- ake a non-stick frying pan, pour in the extra virgin olive oil and add the peeled garlic clove. Heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes so that the garlic releases its aroma into the oil.
- Add the anchovy fillets to the hot oil. They will cook in about 30 seconds.
- When you see them begin to turn white, add the lemon juice and gently flip them to the other side. Turn off the heat immediately.
- Add a pinch of salt and the grated lemon zest (while the pan is still hot, but with the heat off).
- Serve the lemon anchovies with a few spoonfuls of their cooking juices and enjoy!
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