Breaded anchovies

Starters are often the most pleasant and tasty element of a meal, especially if they are particularly appetizing and intriguing, made with simple and yet stimulating ingredients, made with care for your guests to enjoy. For a special occasion such as Christmas holidays – although in reality they could also be made for many other occasions, not just Christmas - we suggest serving these lovely fried anchovies, a traditional and very tasty appetizer which is in some ways comparable to cherries, where eating one inevitably leads to eating another! The secret to preventing them from literally vanishing before you can even take photo of the party, is simple: serve them at the last moment, hot and crisp, so that the gluttons among your guests don’t have the time to eat them before you’re ready. You don’t believe us? Make some, and see for yourself!

Clean the anchovies and open them carefully. Chop the herbs, and mix with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Put the anchovies in to marinade with the prepared mixture. After an hour drain them from the marinade and dab them dry with a paper towel. Lightly flour them, dip them in beaten egg, and then in the breadcrumbs, pressing lightly. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the anchovies on both sides. Remove them from the pan when they are golden brown, pat them dry with another paper towel to remove any excess oil and serve immediately.