Sardines on toast (with sauce)
This recipe crafts an elevated take on sardines on toast, featuring a vibrant homemade tomato and sherry sauce, flaky tinned sardines, fresh diced tomatoes, shallots, and parsley, all served atop crispy sourdough with a peppery watercress finish. It's a quick yet sophisticated dish perfect for a light meal.
Equipment
- 1 Sharp Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Medium Saucepan For preparing the tomato sauce
- 1 Can Opener
- 1 Toaster or Frying Pan For sourdough
Ingredients
Main
- Prepare sardine sauce ahead:
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 3 tbsp dry sherry
- 4 tinned sardines
- 250 g tin sardines in oil or tomato
- 2 large tomatoes peeled and diced
- 1 red shallot thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- Small handful watercress washed
Instructions
- To prepare the sardine sauce, blanch and peel the 4 ripe tomatoes, then dice them.
- Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then sauté the finely diced red onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the crushed garlic clove to the saucepan and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the dry sherry and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the diced ripe tomatoes to the saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- While the sauce simmers, drain the tinned sardines (250g tin), then flake them into a bowl. Add the 2 peeled and diced large tomatoes, thinly sliced red shallot, chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Mix gently to combine and season with salt and pepper.
- Toast the 4 slices of sourdough bread until golden and crisp.
- Spread a generous layer of the warm sardine sauce over each slice of toasted sourdough.
- Top the sauced sourdough with the sardine mixture.
- Garnish each toast with a small handful of washed watercress and serve immediately.
Notes
Elevate the sardine sauce by using intensely ripe, sweet tomatoes; their natural sugars will caramelize beautifully with the red onion. For a smoother sauce, blanch and peel the fresh tomatoes before dicing. Deglazing with dry sherry is crucial for adding a layer of sophisticated depth. When selecting sardines, opt for good quality, oil-packed varieties for richer flavor and texture. Ensure your sourdough is toasted to a perfect crisp-tender, providing structural integrity for the toppings. The fresh herbs and watercress are not just garnish; they provide a vital counterpoint of freshness and peppery bite, balancing the richness of the sardines and sauce.