Canned sardines may not seem appealing, but they are quite versatile.
While they have a more fishy smell than most fish, sardines are actually flavorful, versatile fish. The tiny fish are easily sauteed or fried using the oil they came in, or mashed to use in other recipes. You may surprise yourself and actually like sardines.
Sardine Sandwiches
Mash and season sardines to make a sandwich spread. One spread you can make combines mashed sardines with mashed chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. To make a sardine salad sandwich, mash sardines and add mayonnaise, salt and pepper, onions and celery. Spread on a bread of your choice and add sliced tomatoes and lettuce.
Fried Sardines
To pan-fry sardines, put them in a hot pan on the stove. Oil is not needed since the sardines are already packed in oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until thoroughly heated. You can also dredge the sardines in flour, add enough oil to the pan that they can be submerge in the oil. Heat the sardines until the flour breading has turned golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve with a wedge of lemon.
Sardine Salad
Create a tasty salad with sardine chunks by combining the sardines with sliced onions, tomatoes and bell peppers in a large salad bowl. Hot peppers, such as jalapenos or habanero peppers, can be used. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze lime or lemon juice and drizzle olive oil on top. Toss to combine everything and serve.
Sardine Balls
To make this classic Moroccan dish, combine mashed sardines with garlic, lemon juice, ground coriander and salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until it forms a paste. Form mini meatballs using the sardine paste mixture. Roll the sardine balls into breadcrumbs or a coarse grain, such as semolina. Chill the balls in the refrigerator for two hours to firm up before cooking the balls in a saucepan over the stove. Once the balls are golden brown, remove and serve hot. Make a tomato dipping sauce to go with it.
Tags: salt pepper, lemon juice, sardines with, golden brown, mashed sardines