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Golden fried stuffed anchovies piled on a white platter with lemon wedges and flaky salt under soft natural light

Acciughe Ripiene Fritte: Crispy Stuffed Fried Anchovies

Butterflied fresh anchovies stuffed with a garlic-pecorino filling, dredged in flour and egg, and fried until golden and crisp.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 555
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the anchovies
  • 500 g fresh anchovies gutted, deboned, and butterflied, about 32 fillets, yields 16 stuffed pairs
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
For the filling
  • 60 g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 40 g pecorino romano finely grated
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 lemon zest lemon
  • 1 pinch red chili flakes optional
  • black pepper to taste
For frying
  • 80 g all-purpose flour for dredging
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 250 ml sunflower oil or light olive oil, for shallow frying
For serving
  • 1 lemon wedges lemon, cut into wedges
  • flaky salt to taste

Method
 

Prep the anchovies and filling
  1. Pat the butterflied anchovies dry with paper towels and season lightly with the sea salt. Lay them on a tray, skin-side down, and set aside.
  2. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, pecorino, egg yolk, lemon zest, chili flakes, and black pepper. Mix until it holds together like a thick paste.
  3. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling onto half of the anchovy fillets. Top each with a second anchovy, flesh-side down, and press the edges together firmly to seal, like closing a small book.
Dredge and fry
  1. Set up two shallow dishes, one with the flour and one with the beaten eggs.
  2. Heat the oil in a 28 cm / 11-inch skillet over medium heat to 175C / 350F. Test with a small pinch of breadcrumb, it should sizzle immediately on contact.
  3. Working in batches of 4 to 5 stuffed anchovies so you don't crowd the pan, dredge each one in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in the beaten egg.
  4. Lower each piece gently into the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden, flipping once with tongs. The thin fish cooks through fast, reaching about 63C / 145F internally by the time the crust turns gold.
  5. Transfer the fried anchovies to a wire rack to drain and season immediately with flaky salt.
  6. Let the oil come back to 175C / 350F between batches and repeat with the remaining stuffed anchovies.
Serve
  1. Arrange the fried anchovies on a platter while still hot. Serve with lemon wedges alongside.

Notes

  • Butterfly the anchovies over a bowl to catch bones easily.
  • Keep filling amount to about 1 tsp per pair, overstuffing causes leaks.
  • Fry in batches of 4 to 5, never crowd the skillet.
  • Salt immediately after draining while the crust is still hot.