The anchovy toast with butter is one of those undisputed classics: bread, a good layer of butter, and a fillet of Cantabrian anchovy on top. If you want the traditional version, you'll find it explained step-by-step in our guide to anchovy with butter, the perfect toast. But this recipe goes a step further: it swaps regular butter for smoked butter, and that small change completely transforms the bite.
At Mercat del Ninot, we've been selling quality anchovies since 1990, and we've tried a thousand ways to serve them. The smoked butter version is, without exaggeration, one of the most surprising for those who try it for the first time. Here, we tell you why it works, how to get or make smoked butter at home with a simple technique, and how to assemble the toast to make it restaurant-quality.
Why smoked butter elevates anchovy toast
In classic toast, butter plays a very specific role: its dairy fat envelops the intense saltiness of the anchovy, gives it creaminess, and creates that contrast of textures between the crunchy bread, the unctuous layer, and the meaty fillet. It's a perfect balance, but it's a flat balance: everything plays in the same soft register.
Smoked butter adds a third dimension. The smoke provides toasted, slightly woody notes that interact with the umami of the anchovy in a very particular way. Think about how smoked salmon and butter pair, or grilled sardines with bread: that smoky background enhances the flavor of oily fish rather than masking it. The same happens with Cantabrian anchovy, but amplified, because anchovy concentrates much more glutamate and inosinate (the two main culprits for umami) than any other canned fish.
The result in the mouth is a sequence: first the crunch of the bread, then the melting smoked fat that opens up the flavor, and finally the salty and deep punch of the anchovy with an echo of smoke that prolongs the bite. It's the kind of detail that differentiates a good toast from a memorable one, without complicating your life or increasing the cost of the recipe.
How to get smoked butter: buy it or smoke it at home
You have two ways to get smoked butter, and both are valid depending on the time and resources you have.
Buy it ready-made. More and more gourmet stores, delis, and delicatessen sections sell artisan smoked butter, often smoked with noble woods like beech or oak. There is also the option of butters with incorporated smoked salt. This is the easy way: open, let it come to room temperature, and spread. If you buy it, look for natural smoking (cold-smoked butter over real smoke) and not just an added smoke flavor, which tends to be more artificial and aggressive.
Smoke it at home with a simple technique. You don't need a professional smoker. The easiest and safest way is improvised cold smoking:
- Place the butter (preferably on a plate or shallow dish, in a 1-2 cm layer) inside a large lidded container or a large airtight box, like a lunchbox with a lid or a pot with its lid.
- Separately, burn a handful of wood chips or sawdust for smoking (beech, oak, apple, or walnut) in an old saucepan or a smoking gun. If you don't have specific sawdust, a lit and extinguished sprig of dried rosemary or thyme will work to create smoke, though the result will be more herbaceous.
- Introduce the smoke into the container with the butter, quickly close the lid, and let the smoke infuse the fat for 5 to 15 minutes. The butter should be cold so it doesn't melt: smoking is done cold.
- Repeat the process once or twice if you want a more pronounced smoke flavor. Afterwards, cover the butter and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours (ideally overnight) for the flavor to settle and round out.
An even simpler alternative if you have a smoking gun: place the butter in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap leaving an opening, insert the nozzle, fill the bowl with smoke, seal, and let it rest. Repeat two or three times. This is the cleanest and most controllable technique.
An honest shortcut: if you don't want to smoke anything, you can mix softened butter with a very small pinch of smoked salt or a few minimal drops of smoked paprika (from La Vera). It's not the same as real smoking, but it gives a decent smoky background in a pinch.
Which anchovy to use: size 00 rules
In a three-ingredient toast, the anchovy is the absolute star, so there's no hiding a mediocre product here. This rules out any anchovy in sunflower oil, of uncertain origin, or from industrial, short salting. If the anchovy isn't up to par, the butter's smoke will only highlight its shortcomings.
Our recommendation is size 00 (Selection), the largest, meatiest fillet with the most visual presence. A single 00 fillet on a small toast is enough and stands out as the star of the bite. If you prefer to serve many units, size 0 also works very well and allows for two fillets per toast to be crossed. In both cases, look for an anchovy with well-distributed fat, uniform mahogany color, and preserved in extra virgin olive oil. You can see the options, with the size verified piece by piece, in our Cantabrian anchovy collection.
Ingredients (for 6 toasts)
- 6 Cantabrian anchovy fillets size 00, or 12 fillets size 0 (two per toast).
- 100-120 g smoked butter (bought or home-smoked), softened to pomade consistency.
- 6 slices of bread: sourdough, a good thinly sliced baguette, or rustic bread. 1-1.5 cm thick.
- Maldon salt flakes for finishing.
- Fresh chives, chopped (optional).
- Extra virgin olive oil from the anchovy preserve itself (optional).
Step-by-step assembly
- Bring anchovy and butter to room temperature. Take the fillets out of the fridge 20-30 minutes beforehand: cold anchovy has solidified fat, which hardens the fillet and mutes the flavor. Smoked butter should be at pomade point, spreadable but not liquid.
- Toast the bread. Toast the slices until they are crispy on the outside but still have some body inside. The crunchy contrast is essential against the unctuousness of the butter.
- Spread the smoked butter. While the bread is still warm (so the fat melts slightly and the smoke is released), spread a generous but not excessive layer. It should be noticeable, but without becoming the only flavor.
- Place the anchovy. One 00 fillet lengthwise, or two 0 fillets crossed diagonally. If they come out of the jar deformed, gently stretch them between your fingers to make them straight and elegant.
- Finish and serve. A flake of Maldon salt, a little chopped chive, and, if you like, a few drops of the anchovy oil. Serve freshly assembled: after a few minutes, the bread softens and loses its appeal.
Variations: with chives, with sourdough, with salt flakes
The base toast is perfect as is, but it allows for three twists that adapt or elevate it depending on the occasion.
With chives. Sprinkle fresh chopped chives over the anchovy. Their herbaceous freshness and slight garlicky note cut through the smoked fat and add color. It's the most elegant variation for an appetizer board or a dinner starter.
With sourdough bread. Swap the baguette for a good slice of sourdough bread, with its characteristic acidity and airy crumb. This natural acidity balances the smoke of the butter and the salt of the anchovy, and the thick crust better withstands the unctuousness without softening. It is, probably, the best base for this recipe.
With salt flakes. If you want to fully play with textures, don't skimp on flaked salt: a few Maldon crystals on the anchovy provide a salty crunch that bursts in the mouth and multiplies the contrast. Combine it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and you'll have a gastronomic-level toast with three ingredients.
Pairing
This toast combines dairy fat, smoke, and the intense saltiness of anchovy, so it calls for drinks with acidity and freshness that cleanse the palate between bites. The natural pairing is Basque txakoli: its sharp acidity and slight effervescence cut through the smoked fat and highlight the fish. A brut nature cava or a dry champagne do a similar job, with the bubbles cleaning the richness with each sip.
Among still white wines, a Rías Baixas albariño or a very cold fino or manzanilla sherry work wonderfully: the saline and oxidative touch of sherry harmonizes with the smoke and anchovy. If you like beer, a dry lager or even a lightly roasted one pairs well without clashing. Avoid red wines with strong tannins, which clash with both anchovy and smoke.
Frequently asked questions
How is this toast different from the classic anchovy and butter toast?
The difference lies in a single ingredient, the butter, but it changes the entire bite. The classic toast plays on a smooth, creamy register: bread, butter, and anchovy. By using smoked butter, you add a toasted, smoky background that interacts with the umami of the Cantabrian anchovy and provides a third dimension of flavor. It's the same recipe, but with more depth and a more gastronomic touch.
Is it difficult to smoke butter at home?
No, it's easier than it seems. The improvised cold smoking method (cold butter in a closed container where you introduce wood chip smoke) only takes a few minutes and a little patience to let it rest afterward. If you have a smoking gun, it's even simpler and cleaner. And if you don't want to complicate things, mixing softened butter with a pinch of smoked salt gives a decent result in a pinch.
What wood is best for smoking butter?
Fruit and noble woods give the best results with fish and dairy: beech and oak provide a balanced and classic smoke, while apple or walnut leave a sweeter and more delicate smoke. Avoid resinous woods like pine, which make it bitter. Start with a little smoke and taste: you can always add more smoke, but you can't remove too much smoke.
What anchovy size is best for this toast?
Size 00 (Selection) is ideal: it's the largest, meatiest fillet, with the most visual presence, perfect when the anchovy is the star of the bite. Size 0 also works very well and allows for two fillets per toast to be crossed. In both cases, it must be quality Cantabrian anchovy, in extra virgin olive oil; avoid anchovies in sunflower oil or of dubious origin, because in such a simple toast, mediocrity is immediately noticeable.
Can it be prepared in advance?
It's not advisable to assemble the toasts in advance, because the bread softens with the butter and the anchovy loses freshness. What you can prepare in advance is the smoked butter (in fact, it benefits from resting in the fridge for a few hours or overnight) and have the bread, tempered anchovy, and toppings ready separately. Assemble the toasts in a couple of minutes just before serving.
Ready to assemble your toasts? It all depends on the main ingredient. Take a look at our selection of Cantabrian anchovies with verified sizes, try the classic buttered anchovy toast version, and when you want more ideas, you'll find many anchovy toast combinations on the Bacalalo.com blog.
