A few summers ago, our friend Rolando came to visit. While our other friend Salvatore was busy frying up zucchini blossoms in the kitchen, Rolando quietly got to work on his contribution: toasted bread, cold butter, and anchovies. I didn’t think much of it at first. But then he pulled out a tiny jar of anchovies he’d brought back from Cetara. Cured in salt for 12 months, cleaned and packed by hand, and glistening in olive oil.
He toasted slices of bread over the flame, let them cool, then added slabs of cold butter and those perfect, meaty fillets. The result was anything but ordinary. Rich, salty and briny. Simple, maybe, but also about as sophisticated as it gets.
Proof that when the ingredients are excellent, you don’t need to do much at all.
This version is inspired by Rolando’s. If you can get your hands on really good anchovies, you’re in for something special.
Crostini with Anchovies Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 (makes about 12 crostini)
Ingredients
- 1 baguette-style loaf of rustic bread
- 1 jar of high-quality anchovies packed in olive oil
- Good unsalted butter
Instructions
- Slice the bread into ½-inch slices and toast until golden, preferably over a flame.
- Let the toasted bread cool completely.
- Cut cold butter into thin slices (about ⅛ inch thick) and place one on each piece of bread.
- Top with one anchovy fillet, letting it drape over the edges.
That’s it. Nothing fancy — just great ingredients, simply put together.
And if you’re curious, you can find anchovies and colatura from brands Rolando imports at MarketHall Foods.
