Obviously not a sauce for everyone. But in Liguria, where it seems people eat anchovies daily, it’s popular. An incredibly easy sauce to spice up grilled chicken or fish—swordfish, for example—whether hot or cold.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1/2 cup

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or more if you’re using salt-cured anchovies

　　6 or 8 anchovy fillets, minced, oil reserved

　　1/4 cup mild vinegar, such as white wine or rice

　　1 tomato (drained canned is fine), chopped

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Put the garlic in a small saucepan with the oil and/or anchovy oil; turn the heat to medium-low and cook just until the garlic begins to color. Add the anchovies and stir; cook for a minute over low heat.

　　

Step 2

Add the vinegar, raise the heat to medium, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomato and cook until the sauce separates, about 10 minutes. Season, place in a bowl, and whisk with a fork for a minute or so. Serve hot or at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple of days; rewarm before serving.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.