Black Sea Stuffed Anchovies — Hamsi Kuşu Recipe

US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.

Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.

Ingredients

• 1.75 lb (800 g) small fresh anchovies, gutted, butterflied and deboned, tails left on, patted dry
• 1.25 tsp (8 g) fine sea salt, divided
• 2.8 oz (80 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• 1.5 tsp (4 g) pine nuts
• 0.33 cup (60 g) long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
• 0.56 cup (135 ml) hot water
• 1 tsp (4 g) dried currants
• 0.25 cup (10 g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 0.125 tsp (0.3 g) freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 tsp (1 g) granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp (25 g) fine cornmeal, gluten-free-labelled if required
• 2 large (100 g) large eggs, beaten
• 0.5 cup (120 ml) neutral frying oil, plus more if needed

How to make Hamsi Kuşu

1. Prepare the anchovies

   Keep the fish cold while you work. Remove the heads, guts and backbones without separating the two fillets, leaving the tails attached. Rinse briefly only if needed, then pat each fish thoroughly dry with paper towels.

2. Salt and drain

   Sprinkle the anchovies evenly with 4 g (about 5/8 teaspoon) of the salt. Arrange them in a colander over a bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes, then blot away any released moisture.

3. Start the rice filling

   Warm the olive oil in a small covered saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and pine nuts and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and the nuts are lightly golden, not dark.

4. Cook and season the filling

   Stir in the rice for 1 minute. Add the hot water, dried currants and remaining 4 g salt. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is just tender. Remove from the heat, rest covered for 5 minutes, then fold in the parsley, black pepper and sugar. Spread on a plate to cool until merely warm.

5. Shape the little parcels

   Lay 2 anchovies side by side in your palm, skin sides down and head ends aligned, overlapping their inner edges slightly. Place about 1 heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre. Lay a third anchovy over the rice, skin side up, and bring the head ends and tails together to enclose the filling. Repeat without overfilling.

6. Coat gently

   Put the cornmeal in one shallow dish and the beaten eggs in another. Coat each parcel lightly in cornmeal, shake off the excess, then dip it in egg. Set it on a tray while you finish the rest.

7. Shallow-fry until cooked

   Heat the neutral oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat to about 175°C/350°F. Fry the parcels in small batches for 2–3 minutes per side, turning once, until crisp and golden. The fish must reach 63°C/145°F at the centre, or be opaque and separate easily; the egg coating should be fully set.

8. Drain and serve

   Transfer to a rack or paper towels and let excess oil drain for 2 minutes. Serve hot, traditionally with a simple green salad; do not cover the parcels or their coating will soften.

Recipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/black-sea-stuffed-anchovies-hamsi-kusu-recipe. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.