Canned sardines & other tinned seafood

[Kathyann]

For sure on toast, with whole grain dijon. Not so good in an omlet experiment

[BarbaraY]

Tiny Tots Cross pack sardines are just too, too delicious. Also too, too expensive! Worth it for a treat if they can be found.

Amazon does sell them but I have yet to order from them.

[threestars]

I love canned sardines too! I am actually craving for one now. I haven't tried any recipe out of the canned sardines but just the usual omelet with onions and tomatoes.

[KitchenMom]

I love them with some thinly sliced onion and mustard on toast, or on a bagel. My husband mashes them with a little mayo and some finely chopped sweet onion, like tuna salad. I didn't think I would like them like this, but they are actually quite good, spread on crackers.

[Jenni]

When I was much younger (and, needless to say, not a vegetarian), my Dad used to make me a spicy sardine toasted sandwhich whenever I was off school ill. He would toast the bread, spread with a little butter, then apply hot sauce (it was homemade - we called it "Daddy's West Indian Chilli Sauce"), sliced spring onions and a tin of sardines in tomato sauce. Delicious. Of course, it was made all the more appetising by being off school and having my Dad all to myself.

[Anna N]

When I was much younger (and, needless to say, not a vegetarian), my Dad used to make me a spicy sardine toasted sandwhich whenever I was off school ill. He would toast the bread, spread with a little butter, then apply hot sauce (it was homemade - we called it "Daddy's West Indian Chilli Sauce"), sliced spring onions and a tin of sardines in tomato sauce. Delicious. Of course, it was made all the more appetising by being off school and having my Dad all to myself.

Love the idea of the hot sauce and the spring onions. Must give that a try. Thanks.

[HungryChris]

King Oscar two layer in olive oil, chopped onion on saltines, please. I also like them on crusty Italian bread with some onion juice made by scraping a half onion with a butter knife and a bit of mayo.

HC

[naguere]

The French are big on tinned sardines, every Supermarche has a huge shelving with cans large and small , some 'grilled' and every other way.

A lot are locally caught which is nice.

Each July on coming back to England I fill my bike panniers with every type.

At the moment my last two tins sit waiting in my kitchen:

Hyacinth

Parmentier

Le Gourmet de la mer

A l'Huile d'Olive.

And they are good up to 2015.

Edited April 27, 2011 by naguere (log)

[runwestierun]

I wonder if any of you have tried to age your sardines? They really improve with age (the oil packed fish). I read that the optimal time to leave them is 4 years and they really are delicious then. They get very buttery. Very delicious. Very smooth.

Years ago a woman on Chowhound, rworange, did an exhaustive tasting of tinned sardines. I printed out the list and with my 83 year old neighbor, the biggest sardine lover I know, we have slowly been working our way through the list. We also always put tins away to age. Here are 2 versions of rworange's list:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/301342

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/301739

We really liked the Angelo Parodi and the Albo sardines, and also the little King Oscars in 2 layers. Wow the Angelo Parodi were good after 4 years. We had to buy most of the sardines online. Some of the popular Portugese and Spanish brands would typically sell out the day they came into stock, so it was a challenge acquiring some of them. It's been alot of fun though. We have only tried to age the oil packed fish, we haven't tried to age any of the sauced sardines.

We really liked alot of the different brands. We didn't try the French sardines exhaustively, though, because they were so expensive. Also, a good portion of the sardines we had laid away got eaten by the new husband before I realized what he was doing. Bad new husband.

[Joe Blowe]

Here's another link to add to the fun!

http://www.sardinesociety.com/

Also, I recommend the Roland Sardines in Olive Oil, which I became aware of through rworange's tireless research. If you time it right, you can get 30% off AND another 15% off using 'Subscribe & Save'. Bought 30 cans a couple of months ago for $1.19 per can!

Pasta con sarde is my current addiction

[melissafitz]

My 4 yo daughter loves king oscars, skinless ("no silver, please"), boneless. And she has been known to lick the olive oil from the plate.

I prefer mine with saltines. And I plan on seeking out some Japanese sardines!

[Country]

I like mine with saltines too.

But, I'm posting because there's a short piece in today's Wall Street Journal on canned sardines. Here. Don't need subscription. Six brands covered. About one brand...

"Les Mouettes d'Arvor is known for its sardines millésimées, or vintage sardines, which are linked to a specific catch and are intended to be stored in the cupboard for up to 10 years, until the fish reach optimal flavor."

Holding sardines in a can for ten years??

[nickrey]

At one of Melbourne's top Spanish restaurants, Movida Aqui, they grill the oiled sardines from the tin over a charcoal fire for a few minutes each side and serve them with fresh curd, chives, and a slow cooked egg.

[boudin noir]

Sweat some fennel and onions in olive oil. Add a can of sardines, break up. Add a splash of Pernaud. Put over pasta. garnish with fennel fronds and toasted pine nuts.

[Katie Meadow]

Bumping up this thread because there are lots of comments about canned sardines / favorites in various places but this dedicated thread would be a more useful place to post about them.

 

I am partial to Spanish and Portuguese sardines.  Matiz sardines from Spain are excellent and are available in a 5 pack and a 12 pack from Amazon. I've had Angelo Parodi from Portugal and they are very good as well, but even pricier than Matiz. One brand I can buy locally is Da Morgada from Portugal. They are excellent too, but very pricey and not sold in bulk from Amazon. The best deal for a 12-pack from Amazon is the Santo Amaro from Portugal, but they don't sell them in a smaller quantity, so I haven't tried them yet. Then there's the Bela-Olhau, sold only in single cans for a very reasonable price, and I haven't tried those yet either.

 

I want them packed in olive oil with bones and skin; happy with larger size like 3-4 fish per can. So, if anyone has strong feelings about the above brands or has another to suggest I'm all ears.

 

Because so many people seem to like Wild Planet I tried them. Not something I would buy again. Price is right, but I found them bland and a little mushy. Haven't tasted King Oscars in a million years.

 

I love fresh sardines, grilled. However the last few years has been a disaster for sardines in CA and you simply can't buy fresh ones that are locally fished. Once upon a time they were the  cheapest and healthiest option for fresh wild caught fish, but it is unclear if their numbers will ever recover in these parts. As far as sustainably fished wild caught and low mercury, we are getting very limited in our options and digging deep into our pockets. So...canned sardines.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I tried Wild Planet tuna and was not impressed.  I like the idea, just not what it tastes like.

 

[stephen129]

I love canned sardines in tomato sauce. A recipe I like which is super easy.

 

Cook some pasta such as fusili or penne.

 

When nearly cooked, throw in a tin of canned sardines (or mackerel) in tomato sauce 

 

Put in a big dollop of red pesto.

 

Add some chilli sauce to taste.

 

Mix it altogether, breaking down the sardines into a bit of a paste.

 

Deliciious

[Anna N]

3 minutes ago, stephen129 said:

I love canned sardines in tomato sauce. A recipe I like which is super easy.

 

Cook some pasta such as fusili or penne.

 

When nearly cooked, throw in a tin of canned sardines (or mackerel) in tomato sauce 

 

Put in a big dollop of red pesto.

 

Add some chilli sauce to taste.

 

Mix it altogether, breaking down the sardines into a bit of a paste.

 

Deliciious

I am also fond of sardines in tomato sauce. Usually just have them on toast and I’ve never thought of putting them on pasta. But I’ll stick that one in my back pocket for future reference. Thank you. By the way what is red pesto? I’m assuming it’s tomato-based.

[stephen129]

15 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I am also fond of sardines in tomato sauce. Usually just have them on toast and I’ve never thought of putting them on pasta. But I’ll stick that one in my back pocket for future reference. Thank you. By the way what is red pesto? I’m assuming it’s tomato-based.

 

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/256138641?sc_cmp=ppc*GHS+-+Grocery+-+Repeat+&+DS*PX+|+Shopping+GSC+|+Lapsed+|+All+Products*R+%26+DS:+F%26D:+Food+Cupboard:+Food+Cupboard*PRODUCT_GROUP256138641*&ds_rl=1116019&ds_rl=1116322&ds_rl=1116019&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrrXtBRCKARIsAMbU6bEFWjrUzAil0Dk6znhx0jv3UoWIrY07W21NVTZ4fDKrKJHk-sK6HTcaArdREALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

This is what we get in the UK. I prefer it to traditional green pesto. It's probably not very 'authentic', but that doesn't bother me.

Ingredients

Tomato Puree, Sunflower Seed Oil, Italian Basil (10%), Sun-Dried Tomatoes (4%), Red Peppers (Sulphites), Cashew Nuts, Grana Padano PDO Cheese (Milk, Egg), Pecorino Romano PDO Cheese (Milk), Carrots, Pine Kernels, Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Salt

[Anna N]

9 minutes ago, stephen129 said:

This is what we get in the UK. I prefer it to traditional green pesto. It's probably not very 'authentic', but that doesn't bother me.

Oh yes. One of our Canadian chefs, Christine Cushing, Had a TV show at one time and from that show I got her recipe for sun-dried tomato pesto.  Boy was it good!

[teonzo]

One of my favourite pasta is tomato sauce + canned mackerel + capers + olives (taggiasche, if possible). Nothing fancy but always hits the spot.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[scubadoo97]

On 7/27/2019 at 11:02 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I tried Wild Planet tuna and was not impressed.  I like the idea, just not what it tastes like.

 

taste trumps all else, well almost 

[Katie Meadow]

I've been eating the standard Matiz sardines for several years, but I've just discovered their wild baby sardines. They are packed in a smaller can, and they cost more, but they are a treat. Packed whole, with skin and teensy bones, with a very few shreds of piquillo peppers. The sardines are very mild. So far I love them split in half on buttered toast or on a fresh baguette. I also think they would be perfect as a garnish for some types of salads, like maybe a panzanella salad or a bean salad. 

 

Typically with the bigger cans we split a can and I break the fish up a bit and add lemon juice and a little red onion and eat them open face on toast, but so far I am really liking these babies plain. And because they are less than 4 oz per tin, we really need a whole can for each of us. A thrill, not exactly a cheap one, when it comes to sardines.

 

[weinoo]

I like the Matiz products. Always have some in the pantry.

[liuzhou]

I get nervous when my bank of these Portuguese beauties gets depleted. I order them online in batches of 18* cans at a time and re-order when I'm down to five. I'm down to seven at the moment. Better start saving up - they ain't cheap - four times the price of the supermarket staples, but ten times better!

 

 

 

On 7/28/2019 at 10:53 AM, Katie Meadow said:

I want them packed in olive oil with bones and skin; happy with larger size like 3-4 fish per can.

 

Then these are exactly what you are after. Usually three fat beautiful specimens - sometimes four.

 

I loathe canned sad sardines that come in that cheap, nasty tomato sauce. If I want sardines in tomato sauce (I seldom do) I'll make a sauce myself, thank you!

 

*For some reason they only ship in multiples of three.

Edited June 17, 2022 by liuzhou (log)