Anchovy Allumettes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Mini food processor with a chillable bowl and blade
• •Rolling pin and ruler
• •18 by 13-inch metal baking sheet
• •Small offset spatula
• •Sharp chef's knife or straight pastry wheel

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare a cold station

   Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it thoroughly to 425°F (220°C, or 200°C fan). Line an 18 by 13-inch metal baking sheet with parchment. Chill the mini processor bowl and blade for 10 minutes, and leave the fish, cream, and pastry in the refrigerator until each is needed. Cold is structure here: it keeps the fish stuffing emulsified and the pastry's butter in distinct layers.

2. 2

   Make the beurre d'anchois

   Mince the 3 anchovy fillets to a smooth paste, pressing them beneath the flat of the knife. Beat the paste into the pliable butter until the beurre d'anchois is completely uniform, with no streaks of plain butter remaining. Keep it cool but soft enough to incorporate; melted butter would loosen the fish stuffing.

3. 3

   Build the fish stuffing

   Reserve 1 teaspoon of the beaten egg white. Pulse the cold fish, the remaining egg white, and the white pepper in the chilled processor until the mixture becomes smooth and tacky, scraping down the bowl once. Add the cream one tablespoon at a time, pulsing only until each addition disappears, then add the beurre d'anchois in three small portions. The farce mousseline should remain cold, glossy, and thick enough to hold a soft ridge. If it turns grainy or throws a greasy ring, stop. Ça se rattrape: refrigerate the bowl for 10 minutes, then pulse in the reserved egg white a few drops at a time until the emulsion binds again. If it never breaks, pulse in the reserved egg white at the end. Cook a teaspoonful in a small dry skillet until opaque, taste it, and add salt only if the anchovies haven't already supplied enough.

   Processor friction warms a small batch quickly. If the bowl stops feeling cold beneath your hand, pause and refrigerate it before adding more cream.
4. 4

   Roll exact strips

   Dust the work surface with only enough flour to prevent sticking. Roll the cold puff pastry into a 12 by 10-inch rectangle exactly ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, squaring the edges with a sharp knife. Cut it lengthwise into four strips, each 12 inches long and 2½ inches wide. If the pastry springs back or feels floppy, slide it onto the parchment and chill it for 10 minutes; forcing warm dough welds together the very layers you need.

5. 5

   Spread and line

   Arrange the four strips parallel on the parchment. Divide the fish stuffing among them and spread it from edge to edge in a thin, even coating, about 2 to 3 mm thick. Thin means thin: a mound of stuffing weighs down the pastry and leaves the centre damp. Lay the 18 prepared anchovy fillets end to end along the centre of the strips, trimming and joining them as needed to make one continuous lengthwise line on each. Press them lightly into the stuffing without burying them.

6. 6

   Cut and chill

   Cut each topped strip crosswise at 1-inch intervals to make 12 pieces, using a sharp knife held straight down rather than sawing through the pastry. Wipe the blade whenever the stuffing begins to drag. Space the 48 allumettes on the lined sheet without letting their sides touch, then refrigerate the whole tray, uncovered, for 15 minutes. This final chill is the step that decides their lift.

7. 7

   Bake twelve minutes

   Bake the allumettes on the lower-third rack for 12 minutes, rotating the sheet after 8 minutes only if the oven colours unevenly. They are ready when the exposed pastry has risen into distinct butter-gold layers, the edges are bronzed, the bases feel dry, and the fish stuffing is set and opaque. Do not wait for the anchovies themselves to brown; overcooked fillets become hard and bitter.

8. 8

   Serve them warm

   Let the allumettes settle on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then lift them with a thin metal spatula onto a warm platter. Serve within 20 minutes, while the pastry is crisp and the anchovy butter still gives the filling its gentle sheen. These are little bites, not ornaments, so pass the platter and let people take two at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose puff pastry made with butter and read the label. Sheets made with margarine or shortening may rise, but their flavour is flat and their finish waxy. We don't apologize for butter.
• •Oil-packed anchovies are the honest home equivalent for fillets a brigade would have soaked, split, boned, and dried in advance. Blot them thoroughly. If you use salt-packed anchovies, rinse away the salt, soak them in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes, remove any bones, and dry them before they touch the pastry.
• •Use lean white fish such as hake, cod, or whiting. Salmon and oily fish make a heavy stuffing that competes with the anchovy instead of carrying it.
• •A brut Champagne, dry Crémant, or mineral white wine suits the salt and butter. Keep the rest of the apéritif simple; the allumettes already bring pastry, fish, and plenty of character.

Advance Preparation

• •The beurre d'anchois can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Let it soften only until pliable before incorporating it into the cold fish stuffing.
• •The fish stuffing can be made up to 6 hours ahead, pressed into a shallow covered container, and kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
• •The allumettes can be filled, cut, and arranged on their tray up to 2 hours before baking. Refrigerate them uncovered until the pastry is firm, then cover loosely so the surface does not dry out.
• •If they must be baked early, cool them on a rack and re-crisp them for 3 minutes at 375°F (190°C) shortly before serving. They should be warm, never held for an hour in a low oven where the anchovies harden.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 55g)