If there’s ever a “secret” ingredient to my cooking, it’s probably anchovies. Tossing a few genial fillets into just about anything (salad dressings, eggs, pastas, beans, stews) imbues a salty, funky earthiness that’s not the least bit fishy. Anchovies contribute so much verve for so little effort and expense, and they are — along with garlic and lemon — a key seasoning in much of my weeknight cooking.
My garlicky chicken with lemon-anchovy sauce, a hit with readers, is a perfect example. Once added to a pan of hot oil and prodded gently with a spoon, the anchovies melt away, leaving only their savory magic. Mixed with garlic and a fistful of capers, the umami-rich oil becomes the foundation of the sauce, elevating plain old chicken thighs to ambrosial heights.
Featured Recipe
Garlicky Chicken With Lemon-Anchovy Sauce
Some may balk at the idea of anchovies, but you could simply neglect to mention them (unless, of course, there’s an allergy involved) since they vanish into the sauce. This tactic worked for a while with our anchovy-averse daughter, but by grade school she was on to us. She still won’t eat a visible anchovy, but the ones melted into garlic oil in her favorite midnight pasta get a pass.
Pajeon (Korean scallion pancakes) are another good place for sea creatures of all kinds; bits of squid, shrimp and clams are often slipped into the batter. They aren’t vital, though, and Sohui Kim, the chef of the Brooklyn restaurants Insa and Gage & Tollner, prefers to leave them out. Instead, in her golden, crisp-edged vegetable pajeon, she lets an array of vegetables (either raw veggies or cooked leftovers) keep the scallions company. She serves them with a simple dipping sauce of soy, sesame oil and grated fresh ginger, but a squirt of hot sauce and a few lime wedges would also make an easy, fuss-free accompaniment.
