Sardines - recipes etc.

SARDINE INFORMATION

 

 

CANNED SARDINES HAVE IT ALL

It is difficult to imagine any other (canned) ingredient that has as much to offer: Loads of flavor, plenty of nutrients, and simple preparation methods – or none at all. This is an ingredient with a long history, which is usually evident on the beautiful cans.

 

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SARDINES

There are good and less good canned sardines. Inferior brands (but not necessarily cheaper brands) taste more "fishy"; better brands are more reminiscent of tuna in flavor. According to many connoisseurs, Portugal has the finest sardines, while more northern European countries fare worse.

 

COMBINE WITH BIG FLAVORS

The robust flavors of the sardine can go head-to-head with other ingredients with power: Hot sauces, mustard, olives, tomato sauce, garlic, black pepper, capers, and more.

 

THE PANTRY'S SMARTEST FOOD

Sardines are canned food you don't have to be ashamed of. The appearance of the cans evokes a romantic shimmer, and with a small supply in the pantry, you are always close to a real meal. A few examples:

 

CHEAT PASTA WITH SARDINES

A genuine "pasta con le sarde" contains fresh sardines and fresh, wild-growing fennel of the type common in Sicily. But the cheat version below can be made with canned sardines.

 

RECIPE FOR PASTA CON LE SARDE:

Boil pasta. And while it boils:

Sauté fresh fennel and a little garlic in olive oil

Add a handful of raisins and a pinch of dried chili

Mix in a can of sardines in oil with the fennel (including the oil)

Gently fold the pasta into the sauce and season to taste

Garnish with lightly toasted pine nuts, olive oil, and black pepper

 

DIP/”MASH” WITH SARDINES

Mash a can of sardines in oil with a peeled garlic clove and some chopped scallions.

Add two boiled and peeled medium-sized potatoes, lemon juice, and sea salt, and mash again.

Slowly drizzle in one to two deciliters of olive oil and stir to create an emulsion. It should become creamy and thick.

Let the mixture rest in the fridge for about an hour before serving

Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve as a dip, on canapés, on a sandwich, with grilled vegetables...

 

PASTA SAUCE WITH ONION AND SARDINES

This pasta sauce with large amounts of onion and sardines is called “bigoli” in Italian. It can be made with fresh or canned sardines; the main thing is that the spine, head, and fins must be removed. For 2–3 people:

2 large onions (preferably a milder variety than the Swedish yellow)

2–3 cans of sardines in oil

Possibly a few anchovy fillets

Freshly boiled pasta

A splash of white wine

DO THIS:

Braise the peeled onions in a little water, the wine, and olive oil until they are soft (almost mushy) and brown, about 20 minutes.

Boil pasta

Remove the bones from the fish and let it cook with the onions

Feel free to boost the flavor with a few anchovy fillets

 

SARDINE SANDWICH

As easy as it sounds. Use a white bread with a "Mediterranean character" that you toast or fry in a little olive oil. Sardines in tomato sauce are an excellent topping as they are. Both these and sardines in oil are even better served with sliced egg.

 

TUNISIAN SARDINES WITH HARISSA

Sometimes the simplest is the best. With canned harissa and canned sardines, you can create this delicious and instant appetizer (note that it can be a bit spicy for wine; a cold beer fits better):

Cover a plate with a thin layer of fine olive oil

Add a large dollop of harissa sauce

Cover the sauce with the desired number of sardine fillets

Garnish with flaky salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon juice

Serve with good, soft white bread for dipping

 

A HEARTIER VARIANT:

Stir the harissa into your homemade tomato sauce and season with capers and lemon. Serve with couscous (pasta works just as well) and top with a few sardine fillets.

 

SARDINES IN GOOD COMPANY

Sardines thrive with egg, tomato, lemon, olive oil, black pepper, fennel, white bread, capers, onion, garlic, potato, pasta, white wine, raisins, harissa, parsley,

 

SARDINES ARE GOOD FOOD FOR YOU

Sardines contain high levels of omega-3 fats (the level is said to be ten times higher than the next fish on the list, mackerel), calcium (from the bones), iron, vitamin B12, and more. And because they are low down in the food chain, the presence of substances like mercury is very low.

 

SARDINES ARE GOOD FOOD FOR THE PLANET

These small, oily fish appear in enormous schools. They reproduce quickly and easily and are among the most common fish in the ocean. Sardines are always wild-caught.

 

ABOUT THE SARDINE'S NAME

It is likely that the name sardine comes from the island of Sardinia, where there was once a great deal of fishing for this raw ingredient. At one time, these fatty fish were also caught for oil production to lubricate machines.

 

21 SPECIES OF SARDINE

In an attempt at an international standard, 21 species of sardine have been identified. To make it even more complicated, fish larger than 15 centimeters – even if they are one of these species – are automatically referred to as something else.

 

A BELOVED FISH HAS MANY NAMES

Sardines can also be called pilchard, sprat (England), pilchard (Mediterranean), sprotny (Eastern Europe and Russia), or brisling (Norway). Our own European sprat – the same as brisling – is sometimes counted as a sardine, see below.

 

SPRATS CAN PLAY SARDINE

Sprat and brisling are all names for fish in the family *Sprattus*. The names often refer to the fact that these fish have sharp, shiny scales along their bellies. The name *Brisling* comes from Norwegian. And:

Sugar-salted, spiced, and pickled sprats are marketed in Scandinavia as ansjovis.

Sprats pickled in oil or tomato are instead marketed as sardines.

The EU wants this fish to always be marketed under its own, correct name: Brisling.

 

 

(information taken from: www.professionalsecrets.com)