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Surprise Anchovy Substitute

One pantry staple is a perfect stand-in for anchovies.

 One pantry staple is a perfect stand-in for anchovies.

In the test kitchen we often use anchovies in pasta sauces, stews, and even salad dressings to add a savory, indefinable flavor. We wondered if other pantry ingredients could substitute for anchovies in a pinch. We gathered soy sauce, dried porcini mushrooms, fish sauce, and canned tuna (selected for their similar meaty depth) and compared them to the anchovies in pasta sauce and Caesar salad dressing. The salty soy and intensely mushroom-y porcini missed in both the sauce and dressing. The fish sauce was acceptable in the cooked sauce, but it made the dressing thin. To our surprise, canned tuna was nearly indistinguishable from the anchovy in both sauce and dressing—if the tuna is finely minced. Use 1 tablespoon of finely chopped, water-packed tuna per teaspoon (about 2 fillets) of minced anchovy.

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