Things to do with anchovies

Every Monday morning for the past two and a half years l have sat down and planned the weekly menu for the restaurant here at Petersham. Sometimes ideas come easily to me and sometimes I really struggle but I always begin in exactly the same way - by looking at what is available and in season. Usually I start with an idea for one dish and once I have that I begin to pad out the menu, looking to create harmony and balance. I still pore over cookbooks, returning to the ones I love time and time again. My favourites are classics such as Richard Olney's Simple French Food, or Honey From a Weed by Patience Gray.

I use the same method when I look to create a dish. First I start with one good ingredient, something perfect and seasonal, and then I begin to pad it out by bringing in other flavours. I create a strong base-note flavour, then I begin to work up the scale with the flavour of the main ingredient sitting somewhere in the middle, before finishing with the light, clean flavours sitting right at the top.

This is where anchovies come in. They have a clear, strong base-note flavour that lends a depth and complexity to many dishes. They are a perfect starting point from which to build.

I'm not talking here about fresh anchovies - they are worthy of a whole article on their own. Every now and then my fishmonger brings me a box, un-ordered, and I have never once turned them away. I'll always find room for them somewhere on my menu. Dipped quickly in Spanish flour, deep-fried and eaten ungutted (head and all) with a wedge of lemon, they are absolutely delicious.

But here I am talking about salted anchovies, good quality mind you, packed in olive oil. The best I have found are from Spain, and I can find a million uses for them.

Skye Gyngell is head chef at Petersham Nurseries, Church Lane, off Petersham Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10, tel: 020 8605 3627

Pan-fried wild salmon with salsa verde

Serves 4

When I last wrote about wild salmon I got a letter asking: "How dare you be so irresponsible?" I wrote back to say that I took their point, but I think the issues are more complex. What about the facts that people's livelihoods are at stake, and that farmed salmon isn't worth eating? All our fish at Petersham are line-caught and from sustainable waters.

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
1 bunch of chives, chopped
1 bunch of basil, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
2tbsp capers, rinsed and well chopped
150ml/5fl oz extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper
2tbsp red wine vinegar

For the salmon

4 salmon fillets 175g-250g/6-8oz
1tbsp olive oil
Sea-salt and ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, chives, basil, mint, garlic, anchovies and capers. Stir in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. The sauce may be prepared several hours ahead. Just before serving, add the vinegar and adjust the seasoning.

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6. Pour the oil into a pan and place over a medium heat. Season the salmon well and when the oil has begun to smoke lay the fillets skin-side down. Cook for 2 minutes without turning then place in the oven and finish cooking for a further 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the oven and divide among 4 plates. Spoon over the salsa verde and serve with lemon.

Roast chicken with anchovy butter, green tomatoes and deep-fried sage

Use free-range organic chicken for this dish. Here l have used a cut known as supremes which is the breast and wing tip. Ask your butcher to do this for you. The sharp, clean, sweetness of the green tomatoes offers a clean, pure contrast to the deep, salty flavour of the anchovies.

If you cannot get hold of green tomatoes then you can always substitute them for a good quality vine tomato such as San Marzano.

Serves 4

For the anchovy butter

150g/5oz unsalted butter
1 tin of anchovies in olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, stalks off, leaves only, finely chopped
A few grindings of black pepper

For the chicken

4 chicken supremes
1 bunch of sage
2 green tomatoes, sliced
Sea-salt and black pepper
Olive oil, enough to fry the sage

Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas7. For the anchovy butter, place all the ingredients into a blender and purée until smooth. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.

Place a frying pan over a medium heat (it needs to be large enough to accommodate the chicken comfortably). When the pan is hot, pour in a tablespoon of olive oil. Season the chicken generously on both sides and fry, skin-side down. When the skin is crispy and golden place the pan in the oven (without turning the chicken) and roast for 6-8 minutes or until the breast feels firm to touch.

Remove from the oven and keep warm. Place the pan that you have cooked the chicken in (with the oil still in it) over a medium heat. When smoking, add the sage and fry until crispy, this will only take a very short time. Divide the tomatoes among 4 plates. Lay the chicken on top and spoon over the anchovy butter. Finish with the sage leaf.

Salad of raw asparagus, celery, anchovy and mint dressing

Although eating raw asparagus spears may sound a little strange, I definitely prefer to eat them this way. Sliced very, very finely they taste far more truly of themselves than they do when they are cooked.

Serves 4

For the dressing

1 tin anchovies (in olive oil)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bunch of mint, leaves only
The juice of half a lemon
50ml/2fl oz extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt

A couple of grindings of black pepper

For the salad

1 bunch of English asparagus
4 celery stalks (taken from the heart of the celery)

Start by making the dressing. You can make this in the blender if you have one - if not, use a pestle and mortar. Open the tin of anchovies and place them in the mortar or blender. Next add the garlic and mint leaves and pound until you have a rough paste. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and finally finish with the olive oil. Stir well to combine. Add one or two grindings of black pepper and then set aside.

Next, make the salad. Snap the ends off the asparagus and slice as finely as you can on the bias. Continue chopping in this way until you have finished the bunch. Rinse and pat dry gently. Next cut the ends of the celery sticks and slice each one, again as finely as you can on the bias so that you have long pale shards. Mix the asparagus and celery together and spoon over the dressing. Toss well and serve immediately.

Normally I prefer cold food to be served at room temperature as I find the flavour is much truer when served this way. Oddly enough, though, this dish is at its most truly delicious when the celery and asparagus is slightly chilled. So, to serve, refrigerate and take it out just before eating.

Pan-fried lamb with white beans and anchovy

Serves 4

300g/10oz cannellini beans, or any other white beans
Water, to cover the beans, about 2cm/1in above
A small pinch of bicarbonate of soda
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tin of salted anchovies, drained and chopped
4 branches of rosemary, leaves roughly chopped
The juice of one lemon
40ml/2fl oz olive oil
2tbsp crème fraîche
30ml/1fl oz extra-virgin olive oil
Sea-salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 loins of English lamb

Soak the beans overnight. If you don't have the time to do this, place them in a pan, cover with water and as soon as the water boils remove from the stove. Drain and return to the saucepan. Cover with a second lot of cold water, only this time add a small pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Turn down and simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans are tender. Drain and place in a bowl. Dress while the beans are still warm with garlic, anchovies then rosemary. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and crème fraîche and stir well to combine.

Test for seasoning. Be generous with the pepper but cautious with the salt. Set aside. Next season the lamb generously. Place a pan on the stove, add a few drops of olive oil and, when smoking, add the loins. Cook for 3 minutes on one side. Then turn and cook for 2 minutes on the other. Remove from the pan and rest for 10 minutes.

To serve, re-heat the beans and divide among 4 plates. Slice the loins of lamb in half and lay on top.