Ask Lemmy

Sardine salad.

Ingredients:

2 can of Sardines in Olive Oil—quality brand: count 1 ½ sardines for each guest.

Baby green spinach (about 7 to 9 oz)

Kalamata olives pitted at least a dozen cut in half in the length

Cherry tomatoes—different colors best: about 1/3 pint

½ red bell pepper: sliced thinly in the width to make circular shapes to halve.

1 shallot—medium size thinly sliced

1 or 2 cloves of garlic crushed

Fresh thyme, destemmed ½ teaspoon or more

Olive oil (in addition from the oil from the can) 2-3 tablespoon

Balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon or more

some lemon zest

Dijon mustard: 1 teaspoon or more

hot pepper flakes—some to taste

Pepper and salt to taste

Grated aged parmesan 1 to 2 oz

Directions:

Drain sardines from the can, set them aside and reserve the oil. Half each sardine in length. If needed remove bones for aesthetic though they are edible and a good source of calcium and phosphate. If you want to make a more substantial meal salad, you may put whole sardines.

In a large bowl mix tomatoes, Kalamata olive and spinach

Dressing:

In a hot pan, heat some fresh olive oil and on low heat cook garlic till light blond, and add shallot slices till translucent. Adding a bit more oil if needed sauté bell pepper for a couple of minutes on higher heat to make it a bit tender. Remove mixture from oil and set aside. When cooled down, mix them in the salad greens.

In the same pan, add sardines and warm them gently for a minute. Remove them and set aside.

Remove the pan from heat and while it is still warm, make dressing in it by some balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard stirring vigorously to make a thin paste in which to emulsify the olive oill from the can. Integrate thyme and lemon zest. Adjust acidity and sweetness with balsamic vinegar.

Pour over salad mixture and toss. Add grated parmesan and toss gently.

Top salad with sardines heads pointing inward in a concentric pattern, each sardine at equidistant degrees from one another.

Best served with some hearty toasted bread—unless you crave for that open-faced broiled cheese sandwich mentioned above.

Boiled egg option:

The Sardinian version of this sardine salad as it was conveyed to me add to the greens one sliced hard boiled for 2 guests. It is in a way reminiscent of a salade Niçoise, which is not totally surprising as in the ports of the Mediterranean a certain cousinship can be traced in the turning and the tossing of ingredients and people.