Gonfietti con la Salsa Agrodolce - Fried Anchovy Snacks

Gonfietti is a popular fried snack from Naples made with anchovies.

The saltiness and punchiness of the anchovies needs a sauce as an accompaniment. So I have made an ‘agrodolce’ sweet and sour dipping sauce to compliment these flavours, using raisins and chopped mint. It really provides a perfect balance of flavours.

Adding a little pecorino cheese to the Gonfietti really adds a little extra flavour and works well with the anchovies and sauce.

These really are the perfect snack to enjoy in front of the TV or as an aperitif at a party...yum yum!

Mangia, mangia! 👩🏻‍🍳

Gonfietti recipe:

250g plain flour
1 sachet (7g)or 2 tsps instant/fast action dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
80ml warm water (might need a little more but judge it)
1tbsp olive oil
50g tin of anchovies in oil - drain off oil
2 tbsps pecorino or parmesan cheese
Oil for frying

Makes about 20

1. In a bowl dissolve the yeast in a bowl with the water and sugar. Set aside for a few minutes.
2. Stir in the flour and olive oil and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover with cling film and let rise in a warm place for about an 1 hour.
3. Whilst the dough is rising make your agrodolce sauce (recipe below).
4. Drain the oil from the anchovy fillets and chop them. Grate the cheese then knead both into the dough. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into thin sheet (about 1/2 cm). Using a 6 cm round cutter to cut into rounds. Roll then into rounds with your hands. Re-roll any scraps and cut out more rounds.
5. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan until hot - oil needs to be about 175C. Working in batches, shallow-fry the gonfietti about 6/7 at a time until golden brown, 1–2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining rounds, adding more oil if necessary. Remove them and drain them thoroughly on a plate lined with paper towels.
6. Serve with the agrodolce sauce.

Argodolce sauce:

50g sugar
240 ml red wine vinegar
100g honey
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Handful of raisins
Salt

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes , raisins, chopped mint and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer until the sauce is reduced and thick for about 20- 30 minutes. (The sauce becomes thicker as it cools so be careful not to allow to become too thick).
2. If you don’t use all the sauce it will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.