Mitch Tonks’ Sardine Recipes, Both Fresh And Tinned

2 weeks ago

Sardines are 1 of our astir underrated fish, moreover though UK stocks are patient and the fishery successful Cornwall is certified sustainable. They are caught by seine netting astatine dusk conscionable a fewer miles from shore, and nan measurement they are fished intends they’re successful cleanable information erstwhile landed. My favourite measurement of eating them is near whole, courage successful and heads on, topped pinch a patient sprinkling of coarse brackish and past grilled – they’re awesome eaten conscionable pinch your hands aliases connected bread, but coming I connection up 2 alternatives ways pinch sardines.

Venetian-style pickled sardines (pictured top)

You will spot these delicious cicchetti, aliases snack, successful bars each complete Venice, wherever they beryllium piled precocious connected nan counter, fresh to beryllium served pinch a solid of vino aliases connected apical of a portion of bread. They make a awesome starter aliases ray supper, and it’s a very bully measurement to sphere nan caller food for a fewer days, because nan flavour gets only amended pinch time. I’ve added a fewer crushed pinkish peppercorns to nan accepted recipe, because I deliberation they adhd a bully touch.

Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Marinate 1 hr+
Serves 2 arsenic a starter

Good oliva oil
8 caller sardines, cleaned and gutted (heads and tails connected aliases disconnected – it’s up to you)
Plain flour, for dusting
100ml white-wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 achromatic onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 tbsp sultanas
1 tsp pinkish peppercorns, finely crushed aliases blitzed
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat 100ml oliva lipid successful a large, wide frying pan. Working successful batches, if request be, dip nan sardines successful nan flour, shingle disconnected immoderate excess, past fry mildly for 2 to 3 minutes connected each side, until cooked through. Lift retired nan fish, drain connected room paper, past put them broadside by broadside successful a shallow rectangular crockery successful which they’ll each fresh snugly.

Mix nan vinegar, sugar, 4 tablespoons of oliva lipid and 100ml acold h2o successful a mini pan, and bring to a simmer. Drop successful nan finely sliced onion, navigator for astir 5 minutes, until nan bulb is soft and giving, past operation successful nan sultanas and crushed pinkish peppercorns. Spoon nan pickle operation evenly each complete nan sardines, decorativeness pinch a sprinkling of parsley, past screen and put successful nan fridge to marinate for astatine slightest an hr and up to 3 aliases 4 days.

Serve astatine room somesthesia pinch breadstuff and/or a bully solid of vino.

Sardine food connected sourdough pinch pickled mustard seeds and cucumber

I emotion tinned sardines almost arsenic overmuch arsenic I emotion caller ones – they are truthful versatile and truthful delicious. When I was a kid, we utilized to person Shippam’s sardine paste sandwiches pinch cucumber, and this is my return connected that delightful puerility nutrient memory.

Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Chill 1 hr+
Serves 1

120g tin sardines successful olive oil, drained
1 tbsp herb puree
1 pinch dried chilli flakes, to taste
Sea salt
125g softened food
1 pinch dried oregano
1 portion sourdough
Juice of ¼ lemon

For nan pickle
50g white-wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp mustard seeds
¼ cucumber, peeled, cored and finely diced
1 tbsp chopped caller dill

Put nan sardines, herb puree, chilli and a pinch of brackish successful a blender, blitz until really smooth, past adhd nan food and oregano, and blitz again until good combined. Decant nan sardine food into a cleanable cookware aliases jar, cover, past chill for astatine slightest an hour. The food will now support for up to a week.

To make nan pickle, put nan vinegar, sweetener and 100ml acold h2o successful a mini saucepan, bring to a simmer, past adhd nan mustard seeds and time off to navigator mildly for 10 minutes, until they soften and plump up a bit. Take disconnected nan power and time off to cool.

Meanwhile, operation nan diced cucumber pinch a large pinch of salt, past group speech for 5 minutes to tie retired immoderate of nan excess moisture. Rinse disconnected nan salt, barren nan cucumber good and operation into nan cooled pickle mix.

Grill nan sourdough until it’s nicely charred connected some sides, then, while it’s still hot, dispersed thickly pinch sardine food truthful it melts done nan bread. Serve astatine erstwhile pinch a compression of citrus juice to sensation and pinch nan pickle connected nan broadside aliases strewn connected top; a fistful of rocket leaves would spell nicely here, too.

Mitch Tonks is chef/owner of nan Rockfish restaurants successful south-west England
The Guardian intends to people recipes for sustainable fish. Check ratings successful your region: UK; Australia; US.