Anchovy Toasts: 8 Irresistible Combinations

The art of the perfect anchovy toast

An anchovy toast seems simple, and it is, but there are huge differences between a mediocre toast and one that makes you close your eyes at the first bite. The key lies in three elements: the quality of the anchovy, the choice of bread, and the balance between the base (what you spread) and the protagonist (the anchovy).

Cantabrian anchovies are ideal for toast because they have a large, firm fillet with a complex flavor that goes beyond simple saltiness. At Bacalalo, since 1990 in the Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona, we select anchovies cured artisanally for 12 to 18 months, which gives them that silky texture and deep umami that makes all the difference.

The basic principle of all good anchovy toast is contrast: the anchovy provides salt, umami, and intensity. The base should provide creaminess, sweetness, or acidity to balance it out. This is why combinations like anchovy + cream cheese, anchovy + butter, or anchovy + avocado work so well. Each seeks the same balance through different paths.

A universal tip: never add extra salt to an anchovy toast. The anchovy is your salt. If the toast needs anything, it's a touch of acidity (lemon, vinegar) or sweetness (tomato, pepper) to round out the whole.

1. Anchovy and cream cheese (Philadelphia) toast

The most popular combination and the gateway to the world of anchovy toasts. Philadelphia-style cream cheese provides a neutral, unctuous base that lets the anchovy shine without competing.

Ingredients (4 toasts):

• 4 slices of crystal bread or rustic bread
• 100 g Philadelphia Original cream cheese (not the light version)
• 8 Cantabrian anchovy fillets
• Finely chopped fresh chives
• Freshly ground black pepper
• EVOO to finish

Preparation:

1. Toast the bread until crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. Let it cool for 1 minute — if you spread the cheese on very hot bread, it will melt and slide off.
2. Spread a generous layer of cream cheese on each toast. Don't skimp: the ideal proportion is roughly the same amount of cheese as anchovy.
3. Place 2 anchovy fillets on each toast, arranged parallel or crossed.
4. Sprinkle chopped chives and black pepper. Finish with a few drops of EVOO from the anchovy oil itself.

Express variant: Mix the cream cheese with a grated garlic clove and a teaspoon of lemon juice before spreading. The result is a schmear-style cheese cream with a hint of acidity that enhances the anchovy.

Why it works: Cream cheese has a slightly acidic pH (4.4-4.9) that contrasts with the saltiness of the anchovy. In addition, its high fat content (24%) coats the taste buds and softens the intensity of the cured fish. It's pure flavor science.

2. Anchovy and piquillo pepper toast

If cream cheese toast is the most popular, piquillo pepper toast is the most Spanish. The smoky sweetness of the Lodosa pepper is the perfect counterpoint to the Cantabrian anchovy.

Ingredients (4 toasts):

• 4 slices of country bread or ciabatta
• 8 preserved piquillo peppers (preferably from Lodosa)
• 8 Cantabrian anchovy fillets
• 1 clove of garlic
• EVOO, Sherry vinegar

Preparation:

1. Toast the bread and, while still hot, rub lightly with the garlic clove cut in half.
2. Drain the piquillo peppers and dry them with paper towels. Place 2 opened peppers on each toast, covering it.
3. Arrange 2 anchovy fillets on top of the peppers.
4. Dress with a thin stream of EVOO and a few drops of Sherry vinegar.

Deluxe version: Blend 4 piquillo peppers with a tablespoon of EVOO and use it as a base cream before adding the whole peppers and anchovies. It adds more body and an intense red color.

Tip: If you buy good quality piquillo peppers (look for the D.O. Pimiento del Piquillo de Lodosa), they don't need anything else. Industrial ones are usually more watery and less sweet; in that case, briefly pan-fry them with a little oil to concentrate their flavor.

3. Anchovy and avocado toast

Avocado toast is already a universal classic. Adding Cantabrian anchovies turns it into something completely different: it goes from being a healthy breakfast to an appetizer with character.

Ingredients (4 toasts):

• 4 slices of sourdough bread
• 2 ripe avocados (should yield slightly when pressed)
• 8 Cantabrian anchovy fillets
• Juice of half a lemon
• Red chili flakes (piment d'Espelette or similar)
• Toasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the pulp with a spoon.
2. Mash the pulp with a fork — don't purée it, it should have an irregular texture. Add the lemon juice and mix.
3. Toast the bread until very crispy (the textural contrast is essential in this toast).
4. Spread the mashed avocado over the toasts.
5. Place 2 anchovy fillets on each.
6. Sprinkle chili flakes and sesame seeds.

Why it works: Avocado has 15% monounsaturated fats and a very mild, almost neutral flavor. It works exactly like butter or cream cheese: it envelops the anchovy in creaminess without competing. The lemon provides the necessary acidity, and the chili adds a touch of heat that completes the ensemble.

4. Anchovy and salted butter toast

The most elegant combination on this list. In France, les tartines beurre-anchois are a classic bistro appetizer that pairs perfectly with champagne.

Ingredients (4 toasts):

• 4 slices of rye bread (preferably dense crumb)
• 80 g of good quality salted butter (Échiré, Bordier, or similar)
• 8 Cantabrian anchovy fillets
• Fresh radishes, thinly sliced (optional but recommended)
• Chives or fresh chervil

Preparation:

1. Take the butter out of the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before. It should be soft but not melted — it needs to spread without tearing the bread.
2. Lightly toast the rye bread. Its earthy flavor is the best complement.
3. Spread a thick layer of butter. Be generous: here, the butter is a protagonist along with the anchovy.
4. Place 2 anchovy fillets and, if desired, a few thin slices of radish on top.
5. Finish with chopped chives or chervil.

Note on butter: Do not use unsalted butter and then add salt. Quality salted butter has a distribution of salt crystals within the fat that creates a texture and flavor impossible to replicate by adding salt afterward. It is a different product.

5. Anchovy and confit cherry tomato toast

Confit cherry tomatoes provide a concentrated, intense sweetness that contrasts wonderfully with the anchovy. This toast has a Mediterranean touch that fits perfectly with the Bacalalo style.

Ingredients (4 toasts):

• 4 slices of focaccia or ciabatta
• 200 g cherry tomatoes
• 8 Cantabrian anchovy fillets
• 2 tablespoons EVOO + more for confiting
• 1 clove garlic, fresh thyme, sugar (a pinch)

Preparation:

1. Confit the tomatoes: Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them on a baking sheet with the cut side up. Drizzle with EVOO, add sliced garlic, a few sprigs of thyme, and a pinch of sugar. Bake at 140 °C for 40-50 minutes until wrinkled and concentrated.
2. Toast the bread and place the confit tomatoes on each toast, lightly mashing them.
3. Arrange 2 anchovy fillets on top.
4. Drizzle with the tomato confit juice.

Time-saving tip: Confit double the amount of tomatoes and store them in a jar covered with EVOO in the refrigerator. They last a week and allow you to assemble this toast in 2 minutes any day.

6. Anchovy toast with quail egg

A classic Basque pintxo elevated to toast format. The quail egg, with its small and intense yolk, creates a natural sauce when broken over the anchovy.

Ingredients (4 toasts):

• 4 slices of baguette cut diagonally (long cuts)
• 4 quail eggs
• 8 Cantabrian anchovy fillets
• Piquillo peppers cut into thin strips
• EVOO, Maldon salt

Preparation:

1. Toast the bread until very crispy.
2. Fry the quail eggs in a small pan with hot EVOO. The white should be set and the yolk runny — it takes about 45 seconds.
3. Place 2 anchovy fillets on each toast and then the fried quail egg.
4. Decorate with strips of piquillo pepper and a few flakes of Maldon salt.

Serve immediately. The trick is for the diner to break the yolk with the first bite, and it will soak the toast with the anchovy. It's a moment of pure gastronomic pleasure.

7. Anchovy toast with Catalan escalivada

This toast has deep Catalan roots, like Bacalalo, which has been in Barcelona's Mercat del Ninot since 1990. Escalivada — fire-roasted vegetables — provides a smoky and sweet flavor that combines perfectly with cured anchovies.

Ingredients (4 toasts):

• 4 thick slices of pa de pagès (Catalan country bread)
• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 red pepper
• 1 large onion
• 8 Cantabrian anchovy fillets
• EVOO, Sherry vinegar, pepper

Escalivada preparation:

1. Wash the vegetables and place them whole on a baking sheet. Bake at 200 °C for 45-60 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, until the skin is charred and the inside is tender.
2. Remove them from the oven, cover them with a damp cloth, and let them rest for 15 minutes. The steam makes it easier to peel the skin.
3. Peel, deseed, and cut the vegetables into long strips. Dress with EVOO, Sherry vinegar, and pepper.

Assembly:

1. Toast the pa de pagès and rub with ripe tomato (pa amb tomàquet style).
2. Place a generous base of escalivada on each toast.
3. Top with 2 anchovy fillets and a drizzle of EVOO.

Tip: Escalivada improves after resting for a few hours in the refrigerator, so you can prepare it the day before. Take it out 15 minutes before assembling the toasts so it's at room temperature.

8. Anchovy toast on chickpea hummus

The most unexpected combination on the list and perhaps the one that most surprises those who try it for the first time. Hummus provides creaminess, a hint of bitter tahini, and an underlying cumin flavor that connects surprisingly well with the anchovy.

Ingredients (4 toasts):

• 4 slices of toasted pita bread or crystal bread
• 150 g homemade hummus (or good quality store-bought)
• 8 Cantabrian anchovy fillets
• Smoked paprika from La Vera (sweet or bittersweet)
• Black sesame seeds, EVOO

Homemade hummus preparation (optional):

1. Blend 400 g cooked chickpeas with 2 tablespoons tahini, juice of half a lemon, 1 clove garlic, 3 tablespoons EVOO, salt, and cumin until a fine cream is obtained.
2. Adjust the texture with cold chickpea water if it is too thick.

Assembly:

1. Toast the bread until very crispy.
2. Spread a thick layer of hummus on each toast.
3. Place 2 anchovy fillets.
4. Sprinkle smoked paprika from La Vera and black sesame seeds. Finish with a drizzle of EVOO.

Why it works: Tahini (sesame paste) and anchovy share a high glutamate profile — both are umami-rich ingredients. Instead of competing, they enhance each other. Cumin and paprika add an earthy dimension that rounds out the ensemble.

How to choose the perfect bread for your anchovy toasts

Bread is 50% of a good toast. These are the types that work best with anchovies, ordered by versatility:

• Crystal bread: Thin, crispy, with large air pockets. The best for toasts where you want the anchovy and the base to be the stars. Toasts in seconds.
• Sourdough bread: Denser crumb, crust with character, natural acidity that pairs with anchovy. Ideal for avocado and butter toasts.
• Rye bread: Earthy and intense flavor. Perfect with salted butter and anchovy (the classic French combination).
• Baguette: The most practical format for pintxos and canapés. Cut it diagonally to get longer slices.
• Pa de pagès: Catalan bread with a thick crust and spongy crumb. Ideal with escalivada and tomato. Holds up well to moisture without falling apart.
• Focaccia: Thicker and oilier. Works well with confit tomatoes because it absorbs the juices without getting too soft.

Golden rule: Always toast the bread just before assembling. A toast assembled on cold bread or bread toasted hours ago loses all the textural contrast that makes it special. Crispiness is essential.

Frequently asked questions about anchovy toasts