EmailFish can be a contentious packed-lunch choice – in a workplace without a fridge, you don’t want to be the colleague known for their smelly leftover prawn stir-fry, delicious as it may be. A healthy diet should apparently include at least one portion of oily fish a week – but with these issues to consider plus that of cost, it can be hard to see beyond the trusty tuna mayo or mackerel salad when integrating fish into your meal.
Which is where the humble salty anchovy comes in. The Marmite of the fish world, anchovies are high in omega-3, readily available, and a little goes a long way taste-wise.
There’s something intensely savoury about the flavour that can be incredibly satisfying. It’s easy to incorporate anchovies into a packed lunch without going to too much trouble – or worrying about the lack of refrigeration. Make sure to pack some mints before going to your 2pm meeting though.
• Make anchoïade, a feisty French dip made from blended anchovies, olive oil, a ripe tomato, garlic and red wine vinegar. Sticks of celery, fennel, and radishes make good crudites.
• Anchovy butter is quick and easy (just blend and mix some softened unsalted butter with a few anchovies – you could add parsley, crushed garlic or a bit of lemon juice, but you don’t need to). Spread it on a piece of bread, toast or crispbread and top with sliced radishes or sliced hard‑boiled egg.
• Make an individual tart for lunch with ready-rolled puff pastry topped with halved plum tomatoes, a few anchovies, black olives, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
• An anchovy-based dressing can make a salad of chicory, romaine or little gem leaves sing. In a bowl, mash anchovies with the back of a spoon then add olive oil, red wine vinegar and crushed garlic to taste. A scattering of chopped capers or very finely chopped red onion are good additions.Normally we’d suggest dressing your salad just before eating, but if you use kale, cavolo nero, or any other cabbage, instead of lettuce, you can dress it in the morning. The tough leaves benefit from extra time with the dressing.
Caroline Craig and Sophie Missing are authors of The Little Book of Lunch (Square Peg)
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