Fresh Adriatic anchovies — the small, cheap, omega-rich blue fish the Marche coast calls 'sardoncini' — pinched of their heads, pressed into a savoury crumb of breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic and grilled fast over coals. They come off the grate blistering hot and are eaten at once with the fingers, no fork or knife, so that you scald your fingertips: hence 'scottadito', the burnt-finger dish of the fishermen of Senigallia and the Conero coast.
'Sardoncini' is the Romagnol and Marchigian name for the anchovy (family Engraulidae), a fish barely twelve centimetres long, silver-bellied and cheap, at the heart of the Adriatic 'cucina povera del pesce azzurro'. The fish are best in the warm months, when they move inshore to spawn and swim near the surface; in winter they stay deep. Grilled scottadito is a classic of the marine cooking of Senigallia and the province of Ancona, eaten hot off the coals with the hands. A refined version by the Senigallia chef Giancarlo Filonzi enriches the crumb with cereal-bread crumbs and a fine julienne of lemon zest and serves the fish on a bed of mixed salad leaves.
Under a shatteringly crisp, garlicky crust the little fish stay soft and juicy, their flesh clean and faintly sweet, the oiliness of the blue fish balanced by parsley, a squeeze of lemon and the char of the coals.
The oily flesh of blue fish cooks in minutes, so a fierce, direct heat sets the exterior before the inside dries out. The moistened breadcrumb crust shields the delicate flesh and, at grill temperature, browns through the Maillard reaction while its fat and moisture keep the fish tender. Removing the head and viscera before cooking prevents the bitterness and rapid spoilage of the gut, and the high heat renders enough surface fat to crisp the crumb rather than steam it.
Variations
Instead of a flat grill the anchovies are often threaded 4-5 to a skewer as 'spiedini'; without live coals they are baked hot in the oven until golden. Filonzi's version pairs them with equally small squid and dresses them with lemon zest. The same crumb-and-grill treatment is given to sardines along the whole Adriatic, and the dish is traditionally eaten with 'conditella', a salad of tomato, celery, cucumber and onion.
On the Palate
Where Sardoncini Scottadito sits in the Italian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
7 steps · 40 min active + 5 min waiting
- 110 min
Make the crumb: mix 100 g breadcrumbs with a large handful of finely chopped parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, a little salt and enough olive oil to moisten.
- 215 min
Clean the anchovies: pinch each head between thumb and forefinger and pull it away, drawing out the innards with it; rinse under cold water and pat dry.
Watch outPinch the head and pull to draw the guts out with it, then rinse — gut left in turns bitter fast and taints the whole skewer.
- 310 min
Press each anchovy into the crumb to coat both sides, drizzling a little more oil so it clings.
- 45 min
Thread 4-5 anchovies onto each skewer if you like, and let them rest a few minutes while the coals or grill heat to high.
- 510 min
Grill over hot coals about 4-5 minutes total, turning once, until the crumb is deep golden and the flesh just set; without coals, bake at 220°C for 8-10 minutes.
Watch outGrill fierce and fast — the crumb should go deep golden and the flesh just set in four or five minutes; low heat steams it grey and dries it out.
- 63 min
Dress a bed of mixed salad leaves with oil and a little lemon, or simply cut lemon wedges.
- 72 min
Serve the anchovies blistering hot on the salad and eat at once with your fingers.
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