Croûtons à l'Anchoïade et Beurre de Baratte
Croûtons à l'Anchoïade et Beurre de Baratte·(kroo-tohn a lahn-shwa-yahd ay burr duh bah-raht)
Chapter 4 — The Cheese & Bread Course
If you have ever sat at the pewter bar at Pastis, ordered a glass of Sancerre, and bitten into a seemingly simple anchovy toast, you know the American French bistro is an institution built on hidden exactitude. We do not cut corners here. You must seek out whole, salt-packed anchovies and respect their mandatory overnight milk soak to mellow the fish. Then, you spring for the good stuff: eighty-three percent butterfat beurre de baratte. That extra fat and fermented hazelnut tang is the crucial lipid shield protecting your palate from the intense umami of the hand-pounded anchoïade. Drag that cold, dense butter across a warm, cast-iron-toasted croûton, top it with the pungent emulsion, and you will close your eyes and say, "Yes, this is exactly what Spring Street tastes like."
Ingredients
- salt-packed anchovies6 oz
- whole milk1 cup
- fresh garlic3 med cloves
- Champagne vinegar1 tsp
- Dijon mustard1 tsp
- capers1 tbsp
- extra-virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- French baguette1 med
- olive oil3 tbsp
- garlic1 med clove
- beurre de baratte4 oz
- flat-leaf parsley1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Soak the anchovies in milk overnight.
Submerge the briefly rinsed, salt-packed anchovies in whole milk, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight—or for an absolute minimum of three hours—to extract the harsh sodium and mellow the volatile aromatics of the fish.
- 02
Prep the desalted fish and remove the garlic germ.
Drain the anchovies, discard the milk, and pat the fish aggressively dry before gently pulling them apart to remove the central spine and fins. Ensure your garlic cloves are split and the bitter inner green germ is plucked out and discarded to prevent an acrid bite in the raw emulsion.
- 03
Pound the anchoïade into a paste.
Place the degermed garlic, anchovies, and capers in a heavy stone mortar, leaning into the manual labor with a wooden pestle until the mixture breaks down into a uniform, sticky paste.
- 04
Emulsify the sauce with olive oil.
Stir in the vinegar and mustard, then, while continuously grinding the pestle in a tight circular motion, drizzle in the half-cup of extra-virgin olive oil drop by drop, then in a slow, impossibly thin stream until the mixture becomes a smooth, suspended emulsion. Season generously with black pepper.
- 05
Toast the croûtons in cast iron.
Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and toast them in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until deeply golden and audibly crisp on the outside, leaving a slight chew in the center.
- 06
Rub the hot bread with raw garlic.
While the croûtons are still hot from the skillet, lightly rub the cut side of the halved garlic clove over the abrasive surface of each toast to melt the raw oils into the bread.
- 07
Assemble and serve immediately.
Cut generous, thick shavings of the chilled beurre de baratte and smear a formidable layer over the warm croûtons so it yields without fully melting, then top with a thick quenelle of the anchoïade and a pinch of parsley.
Notes
The Butter Mandate.
You must use an 82-83% cultured European-style butter; standard American 80% sweet cream butter contains too much water, which will instantly dissolve into a greasy mess on the warm toast and ruin the architectural contrast of the dish.
Food Processor Concession.
If you refuse to use a mortar and pestle, pulse the garlic, anchovies, capers, mustard, and vinegar in a food processor briefly—do not liquefy—then slowly stream in the oil on the lowest setting until just emulsified.
The Rescue Protocol.
If your emulsion breaks or the paste is overwhelmingly salty, do not panic; pound in a small handful of crustless white bread soaked in milk and squeezed dry to bind the oil and absorb the excess salt.