Like the nut and bean preparations on pages 27–28, these savory crisp snacks from Southeast Asia (closely related to the similar recipe from Korea that follows) can be eaten out of hand. Also like them, they’re great with beer. Though unfamiliar to some people, they’re instantly liked by most. (You can buy dried baby anchovies—described on page 25—at most Asian, and some Latin, markets.) In Thailand, they’re sometimes tossed with Fried Peanuts (page 27), a lovely little combo.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 servings as a snack or side dish

　　1/2 cup dried baby anchovies

　　About 3 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　3 shallots, minced

　　3 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 tablespoon peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger

　　1 small fresh chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

　　1 teaspoon sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

　　

Step 1

Rinse the anchovies, then soak them in water to cover while you prepare the other ingredients.

　　

Step 2

Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the oil and heat over medium-high heat until a wisp of smoke appears. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and chile and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, just 15 to 30 seconds.

　　

Step 3

Add the anchovies and continue to cook and stir until light brown and crisp, less than 5 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and stir once or twice. Remove the anchovies, drain on paper towels, and serve immediately or within an hour.

　　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.