Food of the Week: The Anchovy

A lot of people associate anchovies with pizza and squirm at the mere thought of topping their cheesy pie with the little silvery fishies...but don't knock it until you have tried it. Anchovies are rich in healthy omega-3s, low in mercury, and on pizza isn't the only way to eat them. 

The anchovy has been a popular source of food since the Roman times. This dark, oily fish was used in a wide variety of dishes including a fermented fish sauce called garum. You can add them into pasta sauces, mash and add to salad dressings, they are yummy whipped in butter for a savory bread spread, baked into an egg quiche, deep fried, and yes they are pretty good on pizza. 

The anchovy is related to the herring and it is rarely over 5 inches in length. They travel in large schools of fish and generally eat plankton. When you buy them they are frequently brined or packed in olive oil. You might not believe it, but the little fishies are preserved with bones intact!!  Yup, you will be able to tell your friends you ate fish bones. They are small and soft enough to be eaten along with the fish and you might not even notice them.

So what do you say? Are you brave enough?