I've never been a huge fan of tinned fish. I always thought of them as being ultra briney, fish-tasting, and completely unappetizing. It turns out, tinned fish are some of the most nutritious foods you could feed your body, and actually taste quite delicious. I had the opportunity to receive an amazing package from my friends at Wild Planet Foods, and of course, tins of sardines came int he package. I knew this was my opportunity to give them a shot. When when I did, I instantly wanted to create mini toasts out of them, hence this tomato sardine toast.
Sardines are actually a relative of the Herring fish, and were said to be birthed from Sardinia in the Mediterranean. They are small, tiny fish, with over 20 different varieties of Sardines! The ones that come in a tin are usually headless, mostly deboned, with some packaged in oil, and others in water. They provide a healthy dose of omega 3 fatty acids as well as vitamin D and calcium. Literally speaking, these tiny fish are some of the best foods you could eat.
Sardines actually make a great snack for any time of day! Here's a few ways you can eat them:
My recipe for tomato sardine toasts will be the reason you fall in love with sardines, especially when paired with a homemade tomato spread, a and a drizzle of hot honey.
Aside from the sardines being the best part of this recipe, the homemade tomato spread will leave your entire kitchen smelling of the Italian countryside: fresh garlic, blistered and roasted tomatoes, basil, and oregano. I mean, what more could you hope for? For this particular recipe, you'll want to find cherry tomatoes on the vine, or simply cherry tomatoes. Grape tomatoes are a little small, and you'll only really need one pack of the tomatoes.
If you're new to eating sardines, this is a great place to start introducing sardines into your diet. Adding the tomato spread gives the sardines a rounded acidity and extra flavor. The drizzle of hot honey amplifies the texture of the sardine, and gives a little heat. The crunch of the buttery toast underneath acts as a delicious vessel for the sardine. Truly a well-rounded and mighty snack!
This recipe doesn't require too many ingredients, but here's the list of the ones you'll need from start to finish:
You'll want to start by adding the cherry tomatoes to a large pan with olive oil. Let them sweat by covering the pan. After 10 minutes, uncover the pan and add in the garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Let the tomatoes sauté and simmer for another 10 minutes. Once the tomatoes begin to prune and blister, turn off the heat and add the ingredients to a food processor. Blend the tomatoes and ingredients until smooth.
Meanwhile, crisp up the slices of bread by melting butter in a cast iron or a nonstick pan. Place the bread into the pan and crisp on each side until golden brown, 2-3m. Spread one tablespoon of tomato spread on the toast, and place a full or half sardine on top. Smash the sardine to spread it around and top with red pepper flakes and a drizzle of hot honey.
Try out these deliciously easy recipes from my kitchen to yours:
If you're not a tinned fish lover, this might be the recipe that converts you. These tomato sardine toasts shine with the luscious sardines adorned on top of crispy, buttery toast, smothered with a homemade tomato spread. You'll fall in love, and you can thank me later.
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