Poor lil' anchovies! What did they do to deserve such a bad reputation? I remember hearing tales of pizza abominations, back in the 70's or 80's, with people having to shout out "No anchovies!" lest their pizza should arrive draped in salty little fish. Who came up with that idea, anyway? Yuck. The truth is, anchovies are wonderful - eaten fresh, Spanish style "boquerones" are one of my favorite tapas dishes; preserved in oil, they are a terrific flavor enhancer. Think beyond Caesar salad - they give a great, salty (and not fishy) kick to dishes that may suprise you.
Last week, I made Mark Bittman's Italian Style Lamb Chops, which calls for lamb shoulder chops - a bigger, heavier kind of lamb chop. It couldn't be easier - whir all of the ingredients in the food processor, take half and marinate the chops for an hour, then grill or broil, basting with the remaining marinade.
Grilled Lamb Chops, Italian Style
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 or more anchovy fillets (I used 4!)
- 1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley leaves (you can use either regular or Italian)
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
They were great - and the next day, I took a leftover chop and made a rare lamb & mache salad with goat feta cheese and a lemon/olive oil vinaigrette - very delicious, very Mediterranean.
That same week, I decided to make some Green Goddess Dressing/dip, since it uses many of the same ingredients as the marinade for the chops. This is a recipe that I modified from the Silver Palate Cookbook - again, put the herbs & anchovies into the Cuisinart, whir, add the mayo & sour cream & lemon juice, whir. After 3 - 4 hours in the fridge, the flavors have settled and it's ready for some crisp veggies. Thin it with buttermilk or milk, and you have dressing.
Green Goddess Dip
- 3/4 C. mayonnaise
- 3/4 C. sour cream
- 1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
- 4 anchovy filets
- 1/4 C. fresh Italian parsley
- 2 T. sliced scallions
- 2 T. snipped chives
- 2 T. chopped fresh tarragon leaves, or 2 t. dried
- salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
