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1
Soak the anchovies briefly in cold water.
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2
Drain them and gently scrape the scales from the skin with the back of a paring knife.
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3
Remove the heads and innards as follows: Make a cut just behind the head, stopping about two-thirds of the way through to the stomach side.
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4
(Dont completely cut off the head.)
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5
Pull the head away from the body gently with the knife; most of the innards should follow.
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6
Open up the anchovies by running your thumb along the inside of the stomach cavity.
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7
Remove the entire skeleton and scrape away any remaining innards or bones with the back of a paring knife.
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8
Wipe gently with a paper towel if you feel there is still some debris attached to the fillets.
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9
(Sardines are cleaned in the same way.)
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10
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Drizzle a little olive oil into the bottom of an 11-inch oval or 10-inch round baking dish or casserole.
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11
Scatter six of the bay leaves over the bottom, and top with a thin but even layer of bread crumbs.
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12
Arrange one-third of the anchovy (or sardine) fillets over the bread crumbs, spacing them evenly.
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13
Sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs, then scatter one-third of the halved tomatoes over the anchovies.
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14
Top the tomatoes with an even layer of bread crumbs.
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15
Scatter the remaining six bay leaves over that layer, then repeat the anchovy/bread-crumb, tomato/bread-crumb sequence, layering two more times with the remaining ingredients.
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16
Press the layered ingredients down gently with a spatula, drizzle the top layer with olive oil, and bake until the topping is golden brown and the anchovies are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
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17
Serve hot.
