Anchovies, Butter, and Toast
People often ask us for Seattle restaurant recommendations, and at the very top of my list for the last ten years and counting is the inimitable Spinasse. When I close my eyes I can picture the dining room: all natural wood, lace, and brass, with elegant glassware and refined but relaxed service, my favorite kind. The space is warm and inviting, small but never cramped, with a long and spacious bar that looks directly into the kitchen. They make a mean Negroni, a plate of life-altering Tajarin, and a heavenly uova con fonduta. And the first bite of the evening is always a tiny slice of toast, smeared with really good butter and topped with a glossy, oil-packed anchovy. It is the perfect bite: crunchy, salty, and rich—a tiny delight to usher you into an evening full of them.
I brought this lovely tradition home several years ago and Dylan and I each now keep it in the regular rotation for dinner parties. It’s easy to whip up in a pinch and feels unique and special.
Simple sophistication.
This is fancy finger food at its finest, and ridiculously easy to make. The key is this: Use good butter. These little delights are made of three things, no more, no less. Since the baguette is toasted with olive oil, it doesn’t have to be a top-shelf baguette to work; likewise, the anchovies should be of high-quality, but nothing fancy. (I like Ortiz, which you can get at just about any grocery store.) The butter is what matters: stick to an unsalted, European-style butter like Plugrá or Kerry Gold (also available at most grocery stores) and you can’t go wrong.
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: Hors d’oeuvres for 4–10
Drink: Sparkling wine
1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Slice your baguette
Using a sharp and sturdy knife, cut your baguette into super-thin slices. Go as thin as you can—when toasted it should be more like a cracker than a slice of bread.
Work ahead: You can cut up the baguette and freeze the slices in a gallon bag for later use. (This is especially helpful when you’re throwing a last-minute cocktail party.) When you’re ready to make them, no need to defrost—they’ll toast up just fine. Just pull them out of the freezer and continue on to step three.
3. Spread pieces on a sheet pan; drizzle with olive oil
Place all the slices on a sheet pan and drizzle or brush lightly with olive oil. You don’t need a ton here, just enough to crisp up the edges here and there. Try to keep the edges from touching so they’ll crisp up better.
4. Toast in the oven until golden-brown
This should take about 7–10 minutes, but start checking on them after 5. They can burn quickly because they’re so thin.
5. Remove from oven; let cool
6. Spread cold butter on each crostini; top with an anchovy
Using fridge-temperature butter and working on a cool surface (i.e. not the hot sheen pan you just used), spread some butter on each piece of toast.
Top each with an anchovy (or half an anchovy if you’re working with big ones). I like to pull each anchovy out of the jar or tin and wick the extra oil off with my fingers, so it’s not too gloopy on the toast.
7. Arrange on a platter; reserve in the fridge
Arrange them on a platter (or, if you’re doing a seated dinner, you can plate up each one on a tiny plate) and reserve in the fridge until you’re ready to use. The butter should be cool and opaque, not melted.
8. Serve!
Because all the ingredients involved are beige-ish, it’ll never look like a stunning colorful dish, and that is A-OK. As soon as people taste them they’ll know what’s up.
Um, excuse me?
What kind of baguette should I use?
My vote always goes to a crusty, handmade baguette, but to be honest, any baguette will work. We often cut up our stale baguettes and reserve the pieces in the freezer so we’re ready at a moment’s notice when a cocktail party comes a-callin’.
Should I put a parsley leaf on each one?
I have often been tempted to do this to add some color, and of course you should find your own bliss, but I vote no parsley. This is a super simple, rustic thing—I like to just let it be.
Can’t I just use the cheap, Land O Lakes butter I have in the fridge?
You can, but it’s really worthwhile to use the good stuff here.
OK, but does it really have to be unsalted butter? I thought you said salted vs. unsalted butter doesn’t matter.
Salted vs. unsalted butter almost never matters. But in something this simple and straightforward, balance is key: you want the creamy, clean flavor of the butter to offset the extreme saltiness of the anchovy, so it’s best to stick with unsalted if you can. BUT, for real: it’s not that big of a deal.
How many should I make per person?
If you’re serving them “family-style,” on a platter, I usually make 3–5 per person. For a seated dinner as an amuse-bouche, just do one per person.
Where can I find more hors d’oeuvre/appetizer inspo?
Right this way!
