Anchovies are considered the best of the blue fish, and in Cilento, they are widely consumed. Besides being affordable, they are versatile for many recipes, like stuffed anchovies. Here we explore how to prepare “alici mbuttunate,” anchovies stuffed with cheese and eggs. This dish is part of the Mediterranean Diet, simple yet rich in flavor and nutrients. It’s packed with antioxidants that provide numerous health benefits, especially for the heart.
Ingredients for 4 people:
24 anchovies
200 grams of mildly aged cacioricotta cheese
1-2 eggs
Parsley as needed
1 cut up garlic and 1 whole clove of garlic
1 onion
Salt and pepper as needed
3 spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
700 grams of tomato sauce
Basili as needed
Flour as needed (optional)
Wash and de-bone the anchovies carefully. In a bowl, mix cheese, egg, chopped garlic, parsely, salt, pepper and basil. The mixture shouldn’t be too hard. Arrange the fish facing upwards in rows next to each other. For every two filets, put a little mixture in the middle, then press the anchovies slightly inwards. In the meantime, stir-fry some onion and garlic and prepare the tomato sauce. Once it’s ready, add the anchovies and finish cooking. To seal the filling inside the anchovies even better, you can flour them and give them a quick fry in hot olive oil. This also allows you to have a longer cooking process, which will strengthen the flavors.
