The best thing that can happen when you’re wandering aimlessly around the grocery store wondering what to cook for dinner, feeling dull and stupid after a long day in the office, is to discover fresh anchovies in the fish market at $6.99/lb. Frank the fish monger tells you they arrived this morning and he doesn’t know when they’ll get more so impulsively you ask for a half-pound and while Frank is removing the heads, which he’s offered to do because the store is uncharacteristically quite, he tells you how to cook them: coat with flour and deep fry for no more than three minutes.
Well this sounds great but you’re not a frying type of gal so you wonder aloud if they would be good simply marinated in fresh lemon and olive oil. “Of course,” he says. “That’s all you need to do.” “A little hot pepper? Parsely?” “Sounds good,” chimes in Joe, from behind the counter. “Healthy.”
Meanwhile, another customer has set his sights on the anchovies and when your eyes meet, you ask him how he’ll prepare his. “I marinate them for 20 minutes in a little rice vinegar and ginger. That’s the way we do it,” he says, we being the Filipinos. He generously says your way sounds better but you disagree and say his sounds delicious and that you’ll certainly try it next time.
So now with your little package of fish and a loaf of bread in hand you’ve shaken the end-of-the-day malaise and when you get home you gut the fish, which is easier than you imagined since the single bone comes out easily in one piece taking the guts with it, squeeze a lemon, add olive oil and salt and wait for the Mr. to come home.
— sdh