Panko-Fried Anchovy with Crispy Nori Seaweed & Meyer Lemon
Fresh anchovies are astonishingly light in flavor and texture. With a little crunch and a dipping sauce, people go crazy for these. You just want to make sure and work quickly so they’re served while still warm. They lose a bit of their magic if they cool down. These fillets can be served with an aioli or ponzu dipping sauce, or just a squeeze of lemon.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Avocado oil or other high-heat oil, for frying
- 20 anchovies, cleaned and filleted
- 8 sheets nori, torn in 2-by-2-inch pieces
- 1 lemon, halved and cut into thin half-moon slivers
Instructions
- In a large shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Place the eggs and panko in two separate shallow dishes.
- Set aside, but keep near the stove. In a deep skillet over mediumhigh heat, add 1 inch of the oil. Dredge the anchovies in the flour, egg and then panko. Fry the anchovies in the hot oil in a single layer until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and lay on a plate lined with paper towels. With a slotted spoon, remove the bits of panko in the oil and then repeat dredging and frying with the nori. It will get soggy, so work quickly! And then repeat the process with the lemon slices.
- Remove all from the oil and let drain on plates lined with paper towels, and then plate and serve. Makes 4 servings
Notes
Recipes adapted from Forage. Gather. Feast. by Maria Finn (Sasquatch Books, 2024). Photography by Marla Aufmuth.
