ALMOND ANCHOIADE 

 Makes about 1 cup 

The brilliant Provençal sauce anchoïade can be used to sauce just about any dish - grilled or roasted fish, poultry, meats, as a dip for vegetables. It adds a subtle and supportive briny note to any dish it graces. This particular version does not contain any dried fruit, though perhaps the definitive version from the chef Austin de Croze contains dried Mediterranean figs that lend it a lovely, sweet background to the sauce. Some cooks are adamant about including the dried figs. Add one or two, if you wish. Rather than pound the ingredients in a mortar, you can use a food processor to make the paste, but the texture is never as appealing and the taste never as good as when made by hand. Make the puree too smooth - keep a little texture, for spirit.

4-5 salt-packed anchovies, soaked, rinsed, bones removed; or 8-10 filets of tinned or jarred anchovies
2 cloves garlic 
½ tsp salt 
⅓ cup blanched almonds   
5 oz extra virgin olive oil 
1 ½ tsp red wine vinegar 
2 tsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
¼ tsp lemon zest, finely grated 
Pinch red chili flakes 

Rinse surface salt from anchovies under cold water. Soak anchovies in cool water for 20-25 minutes to remove salt. Peel anchovy fillets from their spines with your fingers and discard bones. Remove tiny bones, fins, and bloody bits from fillets. Lay fillets on a paper towel. Starting with the garlic and a pinch of salt, make a smooth paste in a mortar and pestle. Pound the anchovies and almonds into the paste. It will then be slightly coarser than the initial paste. Thin it with the olive oil and vinegar. Stir in the remaining 3 ingredients. Store anchoïade under a thin layer of olive oil in a wire top jar in the refrigerator. It will keep in good condition for two weeks. 

©2021 Christopher Lee