anchovy paste

[Constance]

Do you all like the paste as well as the canned anchovies? Any ideas what the equivilancy rate would be when a recipe calls for, say 4 anchovy fillets?
How long is anchovy paste good when it's kept in the fridge?

 

[luvs]

i keep mine for quite some time, constance. it has so much salt in it that it must preserve it.

 

[ironchef]

It will last in fridge for awhile. Was there an expiration date on the box or tube?

Regarding equivalency uses, it depends from recipe to recipe.

 

[Constance]

No expiration date, Ironchef. Any suggestions on how to use it?

 

[HanArt]

I use the paste in Caesar salad dressing. It keeps for a very long time!

 

[Claire]

I've also kept it for a very long time. For those who are interested, the original recipe for a Caesar's salad had Worcestershire sauce in it (which, for all you vegans out there, does have anchovies in it) rather than anchovies. I use the paste "to taste" in recipes rather than find an equivalence. Since I can only cook so much, so often, I use anchovy paste in place of fish sauce in southeast asian cooking. Not the same, but heck, you can only fit so many condiments in your fridge, and one fish sauce just has to serve for all cuisines.

 

[luvs]

http://gourmetsleuth.com/qa/equivalents_substitutions.asp?index=A&tid=15

 

[ironchef]

My personal favorite use is as a flavoring agent for olive-oil based pasta sauces. It's amazing what kind of flavor a good quality olive oil, anchovy paste, garlic, lemon, and chili flakes can bring.

 

[Constance]

Thanks for the tips, y'all.

Ironchef, what is a good brand of olive oil? I buy big jugs of Bertolli's at Sam's, and it tastes fine, but I might want something a little fancier sometimes for salads or pasta.

 

[luvs]

dean & deluca sell some good brands of olive oil. the address is www.deandeluca.com

 

[ironchef]

This is my personal favorite for all-purpose (not sauteeing) use. I actually prefer Spanish Olive Oil over Italian and Greek types. You can actually get some decent ones from California as well now. Basically, you can use the stuff you buy at Sam's club to do the initial sauteeing with but right before you serve the pasta, drizzle it with something like this off the heat. The carryover heat from the pan will bring out the aromas of the oil without actually cooking out the flavor.

 

[Constance]

Thank you...I will see if I can find it.