Tomatoes With Basil and Anchovies

Name: Tomatoes With Basil and Anchovies
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 small garlic cloves, minced; 1 small shallot, diced; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar; 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and pepper; 12 anchovy fillets; 1/2 cup milk (optional); 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, any size, cut in wedges, slices or halves; 1 1/2 cups basil leaves, not too big, washed and dried; Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

By David Tanis

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 5(159)
Comments: Read comments

A great tomato salad starts with great tomatoes. Buy ripe tomatoes in season from the market or farm stand, or, even better, pick them straight from the garden. The anchovies (they are rinsed briefly to tame them) are an important feature, the perfect counterpoint to the tomatoes’ sweetness. Add a large handful of aromatic basil leaves just before serving.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

2small garlic cloves, minced
1small shallot, diced
2tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
12anchovy fillets
½cup milk (optional)
3pounds ripe tomatoes, any size, cut in wedges, slices or halves
1½cups basil leaves, not too big, washed and dried
Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Make the vinaigrette: Put garlic, shallot and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Put anchovies in a small bowl and cover with milk. Leave for 5 minutes, then carefully rinse with water and blot with paper towels. (Alternatively, skip the milk and simply rinse anchovies with water and blot.) Transfer to a small plate and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Step 3
About 5 or 10 minutes before serving, place tomatoes in a large, deep platter or low-sided serving bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add vinaigrette and toss gently to coat.
Step 4
Just before serving, add the basil leaves and toss gently. Garnish with anchovy fillets and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper, if desired.

Ratings

5 out of 5

159 user ratings

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Comments

leah7 years ago

I think I would blend the anchovies with the vinegar and oil instead of adding them whole to the salad. The vinegar will tame the amines (cause of the fishy taste) and will entice even those who find anchovies revolting to partake of this salad.

Candice7 years ago

I whisk the garlic, shallots, salt, and pepper into the oil first, and then add the vinegar. It seems to emulsify better that way.

Laura Zinn Fromm7 years ago

I chopped the anchovies up very fine so that no one would know they were in there! We had a big group over for brunch and they loved this salad---but might have balked if they had seen that anchovies were in there before digging in.

Andrea1 year ago

Anchovies makes everything better. I’m not hiding mine. Yum!!!

Steven Andrea1 year ago

This was great. Followed some suggestions and put some anchovy in the dressing and some on top. We love anchovies on bread so we made little bites and loved it. Also had on hand some lobster meat, cooked it up with garlic and evoo and mixed it in as well (at room temp). A delightful “slightly fishy” tomato salad which became dinner. The dressing is simple, and lovely.

Renorose3 years ago

Simple and perfect. I used sweet and mild white anchovies and tossed in a few pitted Kalamata olives. Brilliant!

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