Melted Anchovy Toast

Ingredienti

½ cup (120 ml) olive oil

10 anchovy fillets in oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon red chile flakes

Zest of 1 lemon, cut into thin julienne slices

2 thick pieces sourdough bread, grilled or toasted well and cut into

4 pieces each

Basil leaves, to garnish

Istruzioni

In a sauté pan, combine the olive oil, anchovy fillets, garlic, red chile flakes, and lemon zest. Slowly bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is soft and the anchovies have melted. I like to carefully turn the garlic slivers over so they cook evenly.

Place the toast on a platter and spoon the sauce evenly over the toast. Finish with basil leaves.

Note

This preparation is all about the anchovy. Salty, garlicky, and spicy. It's messy, oily, and addictive.

This recipe actually was an accident. I had purchased some very fancy anchovies and was planning on just warming them to serve on toast, but they immediately liquified in the warm oil. And so I did what any rational person would do: I poured the resulting sauce onto a beautiful piece of toast and tasted it. So good, and among the easiest appetizers ever.

Work in Progress: No False Steps

Working creatively means being open to new paths as they arise. Here I was thinking I would just warm

the anchovies to serve on toast, but they disinte- grated into the oil and I was left with a wildly flavorful sauce to pour on the toast. Visually the anchovies slipped into the background and made a more mys- terious and flavorful sauce to coat the toasted bread with. Being open to working with the unexpected- even the error-is the only way to relax and make the kitchen journey one of discovery rather than rule following. As Agnes Martin said about painting: "That which seems like the false step is just the next step."