Baked Anchovy Rice Recipe

Nurdan Gençtürk, the daughter of her mother, who is extremely successful in the kitchen, and who has been her apprentice for years, wrote for Yemek.com .

So far, thanks to my neighbor from the Black Sea region, I have only eaten rice with anchovies once. I devoured the amount on my plate, but I couldn't decide how much I liked it at the time. I also remember that during our Black Sea trip with my wife years ago, we asked for anchovy and rice in every restaurant in Trabzon, but we always got the answer "no". They said, "Rice with Anchovy is not available in restaurants, it is made in our homes."

Since that day, I had never thought of rice with anchovies, nor had I ever thought about eating it. Just having to remove the bones from anchovies one by one was enough for me not to think about it. However, it all started with the television program I watched. As Sedef İybar roasted the onion and pine nuts, the smell came to my nose. Before I could finish the program, I completed the ingredients and went into the kitchen.

It turns out how easy it is to cook rice with anchovies when cooked using this method... And it's delicious! My first tasting trial received positive reviews from both the people at home and the neighbors. Now, I will prepare a filling portion at the first opportunity. From now on, when it's anchovy time, anchovy rice is one of the recipes that will be cooked in our kitchen...

How to Make Baked Anchovy Rice Recipe?

• Soak the rice and the currants from which you have removed the stem parts in hot water in separate containers.
• Clean the anchovies and remove their bones. Wash it thoroughly and leave it in a strainer to drain the water.
• Chop the onion for food. Heat the olive oil and add the onions. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add the pine nuts and roast for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peanuts turn pink.
• Drain the rice, wash it until the starchy water is gone and drain. Put the rice in the pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir several times.
• Add dried mint and strained currants, stir and add hot water. Mix and close the lid of the pot. Reduce the heat and cook until the rice absorbs the water.
• While your rice is cooking, oil the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle half of the corn flour. Cover the bottom of the bowl with anchovies, skin down.
• Take your rice off the heat. Add finely chopped dill and mix. Without waiting, spread it over the anchovies in the bowl and smooth it out with a spoon. Arrange the remaining anchovies on top of the rice, skin side up, and cover the rice.
• Sprinkle the remaining corn flour over the anchovies. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes until the anchovies turn pink.
• Take the anchovy rice out of the oven, let it rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, then slice it and share it with your loved ones.