Baked Sea Bream
Whole sea bream roasted with thin potatoes, tomato, green pepper and lemon.
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Fried Anchovies
Hamsi Tava
Small anchovies with a light cornmeal crust, served with lemon and red onion.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- 0
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 lb Anchovies (European, cleaned, boneless, butterflied)
- 1 ¼ cups (120 g) Cornmeal (fine)
- 1 tsp Table salt
- ⅓ cup Sunflower oil for shallow frying
- 1 Lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 Onion (red, small), thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Chopped parsley
Method
Check the anchovies for remaining bones and pat completely dry. Mix cornmeal and salt in a shallow dish. Coat the fish lightly and shake off excess.
Heat a little of the oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay fish skin-side down in one layer without crowding. Cook 2–3 minutes per side, turning individually with a thin spatula. Repeat with remaining fish and oil, reducing heat if the cornmeal darkens too quickly.
The thickest fish flesh reaches 145°F; check for any remaining bones when serving.
Drain briefly and serve immediately with lemon, sliced red onion and parsley. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below, use within 3–4 days and reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F.
Cooking guidance
Buy fresh European anchovies cleaned, boned and butterflied. Pat them very dry before coating. Fry in manageable batches and turn individual fish with a spatula rather than inverting a pan of hot oil.
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