White anchovy dakos (toasts) by Xanthi

These are the tastiest little summer morsels ever. Perfect as a seafood canape or starter, especially for those who appreciate these Mediterranean salty numbers - the white anchovy ( in Spain they are known as boquerones). White anchovies are much milder than the well known Italian pizza variety - more like mini, soft, tender fillets of white, salty fish.

Recipe based on, and found in, the fare exchange section of the Gourmet traveller magazine by Xanthi restaurant.

Pictured: White anchovy dakos* by Xanthi

12 slices sourdough or baguette, or cut 4 slices from a large loaf and then cut into thirds

2 tomatoes, preferably vine-ripened and full of flavour- chopped

12 - 24 white anchovy fillets, i.e use 1 or 2 per serving

Lemon wedges and extra virgin olive oil to serve

Preserved lemon mayonnaise

2 tbsp kewpie mayonnaise, or your favourite mayonnaise

1 qtr preserved lemon, flesh discarded and skin finely chopped

Pickled fennel

1 fennel bulb, outer leaves removed and shaved on a mandolin, or slice as finely as possible

50ml white wine vinegar

50ml extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 tbsp each – fennel seeds, coriander seeds, dry-roasted

¼ cup each loosely packed flat-leaf parsley and coriander, coarsely chopped

For pickled fennel – combine fennel, vinegar, oil, garlic and spices in a non-reactive container, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate overnight to develop the flavours. Just before serving, drain the fennel and toss with fresh parsley and coriander. 

Preserved lemon mayonnaise – mix ingredients together, season a little. Refrigerate until serving.

Toast the baguette or pieces of sourdough til dry and crispy – best way it to lay them on a tray in a slow oven at 110°C and cook 1 hour or more – you could use your favourite cracker too. This is for a similar crunchy texture to the dakos*. Or just toast them in a toaster - keeping in mind they will need soak those juices up quickly and should be eaten quickly.

Spread the bread with mayonnaise, top with tomato and pickled fennel, then the anchovies, drizzle with oil and serve with the lemon wedges.

Makes 12 nibbles

*Dakos meaning (excerpt from https://elenisaltas.com/) - "Similar to Italian bruschetta, dakos is made with a twice-baked bread rusk that is hard as nails, meaning before serving you must reconstitute with water or olive oil to soften it. It’s the toppings that make the dish so memorable...For Cretan dakos, the rusks are topped with juicy tomatoes (preferably fresh from the vine), plenty of cheese (Cretan mizithra, feta or other soft cheese) and garnished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and oregano. Complete the dakos with a Kalamata olive on top. Once assembled, if you look straight down, you might notice the dakos resembles the eye of an owl, which is why in Crete the dish is also referred to as Koukouvagia (owl)."