Pastries and dough-based dishes
These Black Sea pastries are made by tossing boned anchovies with onion, parsley, and cornmeal, then wrapping the mixture in phyllo. The cornmeal is functional, not just a garnish: it absorbs liquid from the anchovies and keeps the phyllo from getting soggy. The anchovies go in raw and cook in the oven; cooking them first would break them apart and turn the filling to mush.
Remove each head by pinching it off with your thumb, then pull the backbone toward the tail; the fish should open in one piece like a butterfly. Rinse the cleaned anchovies in plenty of cold water, transfer to a colander, and let drain.
Slice the onion into thin half-moons, rub it with salt, and squeeze out and discard the bitter liquid. In a wide bowl, gently toss the drained anchovies with the onion, finely chopped parsley, cornmeal, and spices by hand. Do not crush the anchovies; keep them whole.
Cut the phyllo sheets into triangular pieces and brush the surface of each with cooking oil. Arrange a row of anchovies along the wide edge and roll toward the point. Fold the ends inward to seal; if left open, liquid from the filling will run onto the pan.
Arrange the rolls seam-side down on a greased baking sheet, leaving space between them. Brush the tops with melted butter.
Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C / 390°F for 35 minutes. They are ready when the phyllo is deep golden brown and the anchovy flesh in a cut-open roll is opaque and flakes easily; do not leave the fish undercooked. Serve hot.
Let the cleaned anchovies drain in a colander for 15 minutes; this time is not included in the recipe duration. Wet fish can make the phyllo soggy from the inside, even with cornmeal in the filling.
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