Anchovies

Anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus, E. ringens, and Anchoa hepsetus) are small but important food fish that are found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the English Channel. The primary anchovy for cookery is the Mediterranean variety. These anchovies are almost always preserved and used as a flavoring agent in cookery, with even very early cookbooks calling for them. Filleted, salted, and packed in cans with oil, they are also made into a paste sold in tubes. Modern recipes call for anchovies on pizza, in Caesar salad, in salad dressings, and in a variety of sauces often used on blander fish.