Black Sea Fried Anchovies

Hamsi tava is a Turkish dish of small anchovies, dredged in cornmeal and fried in a pan until crisp. It is a speciality of the Black Sea coast, where the local anchovy, called hamsi, has long been part of the diet. The coating is cornmeal rather than wheat flour, which gives a crisp, slightly grainy crust.

What it really is

The fish are cleaned, rinsed and drained, then dusted in cornmeal and seasoned with salt. They are fried in a shallow layer of hot oil in a pan, turned once, until golden and crisp. The fish are eaten whole, and the small bones soften in the frying. The flavour is clean and mildly salty, and the lemon cuts through the richness of the oil.

Hamsi tava is a fish dish, and the whole fish is eaten. Cooks differ on how fine the cornmeal should be and how much salt they use, so the crust varies from kitchen to kitchen.

How it's served

• Hot from the pan, piled on a plate, with lemon wedges.
• With corn bread, a traditional accompaniment on the Black Sea coast.
• Eaten by hand, with the lemon squeezed over the fish just before eating.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the fish as anchovy, and give the Turkish name hamsi, so guests know exactly what they are ordering.
• Flag fish, which is the main allergen, and say the fish is fried in oil.
• Say the coating is cornmeal, not wheat flour, and flag wheat only if the bread or another dish uses it.
• Say that the fish is served whole, with the bones softened by frying, since some guests expect fillets.