Anchovy Paste
Anchovy paste is a concentrated purée of salted, cured anchovies, used in small amounts to add deep savory, umami backbone to sauces, dressings, and braises without tasting overtly fishy.
How to buy
Look for tubes or jars with a short ingredient list -- anchovies, oil, and salt -- rather than heavy fillers. A good paste smells briny and savory rather than sharply rancid or ammonia-like. Italian and Mediterranean brands are often a reliable bet for quality.
How to store
Refrigerate after opening and reseal the cap or tube tightly between uses to limit air exposure and odor. It keeps well for several months in the fridge, though flavor and color can dull over time.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Intensely salty and savory with a deep umami punch. Used sparingly, it dissolves into a dish as pure background richness rather than a distinct fishy flavor.
- Texture
- A smooth, thick paste that melts seamlessly into warm sauces, dressings, and butters when whisked or heated.
- Aroma
- Pungent and briny straight from the tube, but the smell mellows considerably once it's cooked into a dish.
How to prepare
- Melted into sauce — Stirred into warm oil or butter until it dissolves as a savory base for pasta sauces.
- Whisked into dressing — Blended into vinaigrettes or Caesar dressing for a salty, umami backbone.
- Stirred into compound butter — Mixed into softened butter for melting over grilled meat or vegetables.
- Rubbed onto meat — Smeared thinly over lamb or beef before roasting to deepen savory flavor.
Classic dishes
American
- Caesar dressing — A garlicky, cheese-forward dressing built on anchovy's salty umami base.
- Umami butter for steak — A finishing butter enriched with anchovy paste for savory depth on grilled steak.
- Deviled eggs with anchovy — Classic deviled eggs given extra savory punch with a dab of anchovy paste.
Italian
- Puttanesca — A punchy tomato pasta sauce built on anchovy, olives, and capers.
- Bagna càuda — A warm garlic and anchovy dip served with raw or roasted vegetables.
- Spaghetti aglio e olio with anchovy — A simple garlic-oil pasta deepened with melted anchovy for savory backbone.
- Vitello tonnato — Sliced veal served cold under a creamy tuna sauce that often includes anchovy.
- Caponata — A sweet-and-sour eggplant relish sometimes deepened with a touch of anchovy.
- Bagna càuda dip variant — A simplified anchovy-garlic dipping sauce for crudités.
- Abbacchio alla cacciatora — A Roman braised lamb dish finished with a garlic, rosemary, and anchovy sauce.
French
- Pissaladière — A caramelized onion tart topped with anchovies and olives.
- Tapenade — A chunky olive spread that typically includes anchovy for savory depth.
- Niçoise salad dressing — A vinaigrette for Niçoise salad often sharpened with a touch of anchovy.
British & Irish
- Worcestershire sauce base — A tangy, fermented condiment built in part on anchovy for umami.
- Welsh rarebit — A rich cheese sauce over toast occasionally spiked with anchovy or Worcestershire.
- Gentleman's relish — A traditional spiced anchovy paste spread thinly on hot buttered toast.