Melange with Anchovies – Συνθεση με γαυρο

Today I will cook a melange with one my favorite small fish, the anchovy (gavros in Greek).

The idea of the recipe came to me as a variation of the patties I have described in another post.

The first step is to get the most fresh anchovy you can find and fillet it.

Second step is to get the best onions, and fresh garlic, and chop them. You need a lot of onions, as they will form the body of the melange.

Add one chopped tomato to the mix, a bit of cardamon, and fennel. Season with salt, chilli flakes, a bit of olive oil, and squeeze one lemon over it.

I get hungry only by looking at the mix, as it stands, there, waiting to be cooked.The last step is to add a bit of flour, just to give the mix a binding agent.

Getting to the cooking now, it is quite simple. Pour the mix over a baking dish that has been oiled, and bake in 180 degrees centigrade for 20 minutes.

The true sign of being ready is to see in the baking dish the colors of Rembrandt’s palette. Earthy, browns, dark reds, ocher, a bit of white.

Serve very hot, over crispy potato cubes.

The melange is very soft in its texture, but the bouquet of flavors is complex and powerful.

The soft texture of the melange is contrasted by the crispy texture of the potato cubes, whose flavor is mild, thus comforting the palate that is bombarded by the melange.

I strongly recommend to have ouzo with this dish, or asyrtico white wine. Enjoy!

PS. I dedicate this creation to my dear friend Yanna, whose imperfections include her being a supporter of Olympiacos Football Club, known in the World as “GAVROI – the anchovies”.