Anchovy & Fennel Shortbreads

Created by Sam Bilton

These delicious little savoury biscuits flavoured with anchovy are wonderful with a pre-dinner drink but especially the mead cocktails created by Neil Buttery in honour of the 2026 festival. Don't forget that you can get all your spices from Steenbergs.

Image: Sam Bilton

Ingredients - makes 20-25

• 50g tin of anchovies (you need about 30g drained weight for this recipe)

• 120g/1 cup plain flour

• Pinch cayenne pepper

• ¼ tsp baking powder

• 80g/¾ stick softened, unsalted butter

• 2 tsp Fennel seeds

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

  
  

Method

1. Drain the anchovies but reserve the oil. Place them on a board then vigorously chop until very fine (almost a paste). Set aside until required.

2. Mix the flour with the baking powder and cayenne pepper.

3. Beat the butter to a cream with 1 tablespoon of the drained anchovy oil.

4. Add the chopped anchovies, the Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp of the fennel seeds.

5. Work in the spiced flour until you have a dough. Fashion into a roll around 22-25 cm in length, wrap tightly in clingfilm then place in the freezer for at least 1 hour (it can be longer though).

6. When you are ready to bake the biscuits, slice of the ends of the roll then cut into 5-6mm slices. Place on a lined baking sheet. Brush with more oil and scatter over the remaining 1 tsp fennel seeds.

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ for 10-15 minutes. Cool before serving. These will keep in an air tight container for several days.

Image: Sam Bilton