How to Cook with Anchovies (Even If You Think You Don't Like Them)
Why anchovies make food taste better, not fishy — and how to use them to add savoury depth to sauces, dressings and vegetables.
The secret ingredient that doesn't taste fishy
Cooked into a dish, anchovies don't taste like fish — they melt away and leave behind a deep, savoury, umami flavour. They're the quiet backbone of Caesar dressing, puttanesca sauce and many Italian vegetable dishes. If you've enjoyed those, you already like anchovies.
The two forms
- Flat fillets (salt-packed or in oil): ready to melt into sauces and dressings
- Fillets in olive oil: milder and tender — good for draping on toast or pizza
- A little goes a long way: one or two fillets season a whole dish
- They dissolve: warm them in oil and they disappear into the sauce
How to use them, step by step
- Warm 1–2 fillets in olive oil over low heat until they dissolve
- Add garlic and chili, then tomatoes, for an instant puttanesca base
- Mash into a Caesar dressing, or whisk into a vinaigrette for depth
- Melt into butter or oil to dress roasted broccoli, cauliflower or greens
- Drape whole fillets over pizza, crostini or a tomato salad for a salty hit
Why they work
Anchovies are loaded with glutamates — the same savoury compounds that make parmesan and tomatoes taste rich. Used as a seasoning rather than the star, they boost meatiness and round out sauces without announcing themselves. Think of them as salt with depth.
Tips
- Start with one fillet; you can always add more
- Rinse salt-packed anchovies, and pat oil-packed ones before draping
- Save the oil from the can — it's full of flavour for sautéing
- Refrigerate leftovers covered in oil, or freeze them on a tray
Anchovies, made simple
Keep a tin in the refrigerated and you have an instant flavour booster for sauces, dressings and vegetables — no fishiness, just depth. Unico anchovies and anchovy fillets in olive oil are ready when you are.