anchovies on toast: 10 combinations

Summary: An anchovy toast seems simple, but the difference between a mediocre toast and one that is remembered for days lies in three factors: the quality of the anchovy, the chosen bread, and the accompaniment that balances the salinity. In this guide, we present 10 anchovy toast combinations, tested and refined at Barcelona's Mercat del Ninot, with technical criteria on why each combination works and what products to use for the best result.

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The fundamentals of a perfect anchovy toast

Updated March 2026. What we tell you here comes from serving thousands of customers in Barcelona.

An anchovy toast is one of the most representative appetizers in Spanish gastronomy, but it is prepared poorly with an unjustifiable frequency given how simple it is to do it right. The problem, almost always, is not in the technique — it's in the product.

The anchovy is the absolute star of the toast. Everything else exists to enhance it, balance it, or complement it, never to overshadow it. When the anchovy is of inferior quality — excessively salty, with a rubbery texture, with a metallic taste from cheap cans — no accompanying ingredient can compensate for that basic defect. Conversely, when the anchovy is good, even a simple bread and butter toast becomes something memorable.

The three principles that govern these 10 combinations are as follows. First: the anchovy rules. It should never be eclipsed. Second: the balance between salinity, acidity, and fat is the structural key to any successful toast. Third: the texture must vary — if the anchovy is melt-in-your-mouth, the bread should be crispy; if the accompaniment is creamy, something in the toast must provide contrast.

At Bacalalo, we have been working with Cantabrian anchovies for over 35 years at the Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona. The combinations we present here are not improvised — they are the ones we have seen work time and again among customers who come to us for advice on how to serve their anchovies.

The bread matters as much as the anchovy

The bread for an anchovy toast must fulfill two functions: provide a crispy texture and act as a neutral or slightly acidic base that does not compete with the fish's flavor. The options that work best are the following.

Toasted sourdough baguette is the universal option. The acidity of the sourdough acts as a natural counterpoint to the anchovy's fat. Sliced into 1.5 cm pieces and toasted in a pan with a drop of olive oil, there is no better base for most of the combinations on this list.

Rye bread toast works especially well with combinations that include cheese or avocado. Its more intense flavor holds up well to the anchovy's potency and provides an earthy dimension that contrasts with the fish's marine notes.

Catalan "coca de cristal," very thin and crispy, is the choice for special occasions. If you are in Barcelona, you will find "coca de cristal" in any artisan bakery. If not, an Andalusian "regañá" serves a similar purpose: a crispy, neutral base that doesn't steal the show.

What definitely doesn't work: industrial sliced bread (too soft and sweet), whole wheat bread with very fragrant seeds (they compete with the anchovy), and any bread reheated in the microwave (the texture becomes pasty).

Combination 1: Butter and anchovy, the French classic

The oldest and most refined combination in the repertoire. Parisian bistros have been serving it for over a century, and the reason for its longevity is that it works with almost mathematical simplicity: the dairy fat of the butter cools the anchovy's salinity and creates a texture that melts in the mouth as if the two ingredients were one.

How to make it: toast a slice of sourdough baguette. Spread unsalted butter at room temperature (if it's cold, the bread will tear and the distribution will be uneven). Place a 00 anchovy fillet on top, centered. Finish with a half turn of freshly ground black pepper.

The detail that changes everything: the butter must be unsalted. Quality anchovies already have their own well-adjusted salinity. Salted butter adds an unnecessary layer of sodium that unbalances the result. Breton butter with salt crystals is the only exception that works, but only if the crystals are large and intentionally placed on the fillet.

For a more elaborate version, prepare a homemade anchovy butter (see our article on anchovies in butter: the recipe for the most elegant appetizer) and spread it generously before placing the fillet on top. The result is an appetizer that looks like it came from a two-star restaurant.

Combination 2: Seasonal tomato and olive oil

In Catalonia, this is not just a toast combination — it's almost an institution. Pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato) is the base upon which the entire aperitif culture in Barcelona is built, and adding a quality Cantabrian anchovy transforms it into something that surpasses any of its individual components.

How to make it: toast the bread, rub it with a clove of garlic at room temperature (only if guests tolerate it; otherwise, omit), rub half a ripe seasonal tomato against the surface of the bread until it is impregnated. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place one or two 00 anchovy fillets.

The tomato is critical. In July and August, with real garden tomatoes, this combination will win any toast competition. In winter, with bland greenhouse tomatoes, the result is much less impressive. A winter alternative: use preserved hanging tomatoes (penjar), which retain their flavor much better.

The acidity of the tomato perfectly balances the anchovy's fat. The oil acts as a conductor of flavors between the two main ingredients. It is the most Mediterranean combination on the list and, when well executed, one of the best.

Combination 3: Avocado, lemon, and chili pepper

The contemporary version of anchovy toast. Avocado provides vegetable fat and creamy texture; lemon adds acidity that cuts through the richness of the avocado and enhances the anchovy's marine flavor; chili pepper introduces a hint of heat that activates the taste buds and makes the anchovy flavor perceived with greater intensity.

How to make it: toast a thick slice of rye or sourdough bread. Mash half a ripe avocado with a fork, add a few drops of lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Spread on the toast. Place a 00 anchovy fillet. Finish with three or four very thin slices of fresh chili or a few chili flakes.

An important detail: the avocado should have a creamy texture, without fibers. Under-ripe avocado, even if mashed, will have a grainy texture that doesn't work well. To identify ripeness, gently press it — it should yield without sinking.

This combination works especially well with anchovies in olive oil in jar format because they can be served directly from the jar without handling the fillets too much.

Combination 4: Goat cheese and fig jam

The most classic sweet-savory counterpoint in gourmet tradition. The combination of fresh goat cheese, fig jam, and anchovy may seem daring until you try it — then you immediately understand why it works in Barcelona's best tapas bars.

How to make it: toast a slice of sourdough bread. Spread a generous layer of fresh goat cheese log (the creamy textured variety, not the cured one). Add half a teaspoon of fig or quince jam. Place a 00 anchovy fillet on top of everything. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

The mechanism of this combination is as follows: goat cheese provides lactic acidity and creaminess; jam, sweetness and body; anchovy, the salinity and umami that rounds out the whole and gives it depth. Without the anchovy, it's a good toast. With quality anchovy, it's a toast that people ask how to make.

Variant: replace goat cheese with ripe brie and fig jam with acacia honey. The result is richer and less acidic, with a rounder, sweeter profile.

Combination 5: Poached egg with anchovies

This is the heartiest combination on the list and most appropriate for brunch or a light dinner. The yolk of the poached egg acts as a natural sauce that, when broken, bathes the toast and creates a top-notch unctuous texture. The anchovy provides the salt and umami that the egg needs to reach its gastronomic potential.

How to make it: poach a fresh egg in water with a splash of white vinegar (the acid helps the white coagulate around the yolk). Toast a thick slice of sourdough bread. Spread a light base of butter or oil. Place the poached egg. Place two crossed anchovy fillets over the yolk. Finish with chopped chives and black pepper.

The order matters: the anchovy goes on top of the egg, not underneath. When the yolk is cut, the mixture of liquid yolk and anchovy oil creates a combination that is one of the best sauces you can get without any cooking effort.

We recommend using "0" Selection Gourmet anchovies in this combination. Their size is ideal for the proportion to the egg, and the quality-price ratio is excellent for such specific gastronomic use.

Combination 6: Roasted red pepper and anchovy

The quintessential Spanish combination outside the Catalan capital. Roasted pepper and anchovy is the classic duo of Aragonese tapas, Murcian salad, and Catalan "esqueixada". On toast, it works with the same logic: the sweetness of the roasted pepper balances the anchovy's salinity and creates a round, smooth combination.

How to make it: roast red peppers in the oven at 200 °C for 40 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. Let them cool in a sealed bag (the steam makes them easier to peel). Peel them, remove seeds, and cut them into strips. Toast the bread, spread a little olive oil, place the pepper strips, and on top, the anchovy fillets. Finish with a drizzle of the oil from the roasted peppers.

Quality preserved roasted peppers (not industrial jarred ones) work perfectly if you don't have time to roast them at the moment. What doesn't work is standard jarred peppers with a preservative taste — they nullify the anchovy's finesse.

To understand the Catalan dimension of this combination and its relationship with "esqueixada", see our article on the complete guide to Cantabrian anchovies.

Combination 7: Melted brie, walnut, and anchovy

An autumn and winter combination. Brie, when lightly melted, becomes almost liquid inside while maintaining its rind. The walnut provides a vegetal bitterness and a crunchy texture that contrasts with the cheese's creaminess. The anchovy, on top, adds the marine salinity that the other two ingredients lack.

How to make it: place a portion of ripe brie on toasted bread (the rind can be left on or removed, depending on preference). Bake or grill for one minute until the cheese starts to melt but doesn't spill. Place two walnut halves on top and finish with an anchovy fillet. Optional: a drizzle of honey.

Timing is important: the anchovy fillet should go on the already melted brie, never during baking. Excessive heat destroys the fillet's texture and makes it brittle and dry. The anchovy should feel fresh on the warm base — that temperature contrast is part of the appeal.

Combination 8: Black olive spread and Cantabrian anchovy

Olivada is a black olive paste (the Catalan version of Provençal tapenade) that shares the same flavor universe with anchovies: salty, umami, fatty, marine. Placing them together may seem redundant until you try it and understand that they enhance each other rather than cancel each other out.

How to make it: crush quality black olives (Kalamata or ripe Arbequina) with olive oil, a little thyme, and pepper. No extra salt — the olivada already has its own, and so does the anchovy. Spread the olivada on the toast. Place an anchovy fillet. Finish with a few flakes of fresh thyme.

Quality olivada is essential. An industrial jarred olive paste has a flat and sometimes astringent taste that ruins the combination. If you don't have quality olivada, substitute with a few whole Kalamata olives cut into slices — the effect is different but equally good.

This is the most intense flavor combination on the list. It is not for someone new to artisan anchovies. It is for the enthusiast who already knows the product and wants to explore its limits.

Combination 9: Ricotta, sun-dried tomato, and anchovy

The Italian combination on the list. Ricotta, sun-dried tomato, and anchovy is the arrangement you will find in any Neapolitan or Sicilian "tavola calda," and it works because the three ingredients belong to the same family of Mediterranean flavors but provide completely different textures.

How to make it: spread a generous layer of fresh ricotta on the toast (the ricotta should be at room temperature so it's spreadable). Place half an oil-packed sun-dried tomato, drained. Place an anchovy fillet. Finish with a few fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of the oil from the sun-dried tomato.

Fresh industrial supermarket ricotta works better than expected in this combination, because its neutral flavor and milky freshness contrast well with the intensity of the sun-dried tomato and anchovy. Sheep's milk ricotta, if you can find it, yields a more complex result.

Oil-packed sun-dried tomato is superior to plain sun-dried tomato for this toast. The tomato oil is a valuable ingredient in itself — it has all the concentrated flavor of the tomato and serves as a final dressing for the toast.

Combination 10: The Gilda toast (deconstructed)

The Gilda is the most iconic Basque "pintxo": a skewer with anchovy, olive, and pickled guindilla pepper. Deconstructing it into a toast format means keeping the three components but moving them from the skewer to the surface of the bread, where each ingredient can express itself more freely.

How to make it: toast the bread (in this case, artisanal white bread works well, as it's more neutral than sourdough). Spread a very thin layer of olive oil. Place an anchovy fillet. Add a large, pitted green olive cut in halves. Place half a pickled guindilla pepper (the Basque guindilla pepper, not a jalapeño). Finish with a few drops of the guindilla vinegar.

The secret of the Gilda—both as a pintxo and on toast—is the precise balance between the three flavors: the saltiness of the anchovy, the vegetable bitterness of the olive, and the pungent acidity of the pickled guindilla pepper. If one dominates the other two, the whole fails. The size of the ingredients must be proportionate.

For this toast, we use "00" Premium anchovies because the Gilda is a tribute to the original pintxo and deserves the best anchovy available. A mediocre anchovy in this combination is an insult to the Basque bar tradition.

To delve deeper into Gilda culture, see our article on anchovy recipes: easy and gourmet ideas.

Common mistakes when making anchovy toasts

After watching anchovy toasts being prepared for 35 years at Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona, there are recurring mistakes that deserve direct attention.

The most frequent mistake is overdoing it with the accompanying ingredients. An anchovy toast is not the place to use seven different ingredients. Three well-chosen ingredients are superior to seven poorly combined ones. Every added ingredient must be there for a technical reason (to provide acidity, creaminess, crunch, sweetness)—not for abundance.

The second mistake is serving anchovies cold from the fridge. Anchovies in oil should be at room temperature so that the fat is fluid and the flavor is fully perceived. If the anchovy is cold, the fat is partially solidified and the fillet tastes much less. Taking them out of the fridge 20-30 minutes beforehand is enough.

The third mistake is using soft bread. An anchovy toast needs a crunchy base because anchovies and most accompaniments (butter, avocado, cheese, tomato) are soft or creamy. Without the textural contrast of crunchy bread, the whole thing becomes mushy.

The fourth and most important mistake: using low-quality anchovies hoping that the accompaniment will compensate. It doesn't work. An anchovy that tastes like industrial sodium and has a rubbery texture doesn't improve with premium butter or garden tomatoes. The quality of the anchovy is irreplaceable.

Frequently asked questions about anchovy toasts

How many anchovies do you put on a toast?
Typically one or two fillets per toast. With 00 caliber anchovies (8-10 cm), one fillet per toast is sufficient. With 0 caliber anchovies (6-8 cm) or smaller, two fillets look better visually and in terms of flavor proportion. The key is that the anchovy is visible and the star, not hidden under other ingredients.

Do you drain anchovies before putting them on toast?
It depends on the accompaniment. If the base is dry (toasted bread with only rubbed garlic), leaving the oil from the can on the fillet adds juiciness. If the base is already fatty (butter, avocado, ricotta), lightly drain the fillet to prevent the whole from being excessively oily. Never rinse with water—you lose the flavor.

Can anchovy toasts be made in advance?
Toasted bread loses its crispness in less than 30 minutes if it has moist ingredients on top. For advance service, toast the bread and keep it separate from the ingredients. Assemble the toasts at the last minute, just before serving.

What drink best accompanies an anchovy toast?
Dry white vermouth or manzanilla sherry are classic Spanish accompaniments. A txakoli or a young albariño also work well. For combinations with cheese and honey, a Catalan brut nature cava is the best option. See our guide to anchovy pairing with wine, beer, and vermouth.

Are anchovies in jars better than those in cans for toasts?
There is no intrinsic quality difference between jars and cans for anchovies from the same cannery. The difference is practical: a jar allows you to see the product before buying and makes it easier to remove fillets without breaking them. For a careful presentation on toast, the jar has an advantage because the fillet arrives on the plate more intact.

Can I make anchovy toasts with salted anchovies not preserved in oil?
Salted anchovies (whole, unsliced, in coarse salt) need preparation before use: clean them, remove the backbone, and soak them in cold water for 20-30 minutes to reduce saltiness. Afterwards, they can be used like any anchovy in oil. The flavor difference is notable—salted anchovies have more intensity and texture. Consult our article on how to make homemade anchovies in oil.