Help me get into sardines

[Exy]

They're full of Omega-3 fatty acids and they're also pretty high in protein and, at least I assume, pretty cheap. But the thought of eating them is a little scary -- I've never actually tried a can of them, but my impression is that they're something of an acquired taste.

So what kind of sardines should I buy? I know they sell them in sauce, in oil, etc. Do they sell them in water? Which way is best? How does one eat them? What brands are good?

[dread pirate jimbo]

Plain is best -- I usually eat 'em straight up, out of the can, but you can eat them in a sandwich, just like tuna or salmon or whatever. They're also good with mustard.

I personally wouldn't characterize sardines as an acquired taste, but 've been eating them since before I can remember, so I'm not the best judge of that. All I can say is buy a can and see what you think. At worst, you find them disgusting and the discovery costs you a buck or so (I'm not sure how much a tin caosts these days).

Good luck and happy eating!

[D. Fenestrator]

So, is it best to just dig them out of the can with a fork, or do you put lemon on them, or smear/pile them on toast? I was given a can of sardines in tomato sauce once, and as I recall, I mixed them into a pasta sauce I was concocting. It was decent, but I have often wondered what the best use of them would have been.

[Myglaren]

Try them on toast.

[Winston Smith]

Get some sardines, some crackers, some hard cheese, some spreadable cheese (I don't care what anyone says - Pub Cheese is the fo'shizzle), a red onion, some capers, maybe some marinated mushrooms and a couple bottles of wine.

Put a sardine on a cracker, drop it in trash basket, then eat all the delicious stuff you bought.

Just kidding. Lay out the spread I mentioned above and chow down. The sardines really are sort of tasty in a fascinating-yet-weird-food sort of way, but they are really, really (really) fishy, so having all the other stuff handy to nosh is key. A cracker and sardine with a little bit of onion on it is pretty damned tasty, especially if you wash it down with a nice wine.

[Exy]

Get some sardines, some crackers, some hard cheese, some spreadable cheese (I don't care what anyone says - Pub Cheese is the fo'shizzle), a red onion, some capers, maybe some marinated mushrooms and a couple bottles of wine.

Put a sardine on a cracker, drop it in trash basket, then eat all the delicious stuff you bought.

Just kidding. Lay out the spread I mentioned above and chow down. The sardines really are sort of tasty in a fascinating-yet-weird-food sort of way, but they are really, really (really) fishy, so having all the other stuff handy to nosh is key. A cracker and sardine with a little bit of onion on it is pretty damned tasty, especially if you wash it down with a nice wine.

See that kind of defeats the purpose of eating something easy and healthy out of a can, though.

[Winston Smith]

Well, you did as "which way is best".

[Glazer]

Go to a nice Korean restaurant, one that puts out all the small dishes of appetizers. Ask for the fried sardines in hot kimchee sauce. OMG !!! Take a Napa leaf, put a small ball of rice, a few sardines, a thin slice of garlic and a smear of black bean paste. Wrap it up in said leaf and nom nom nom. Goes great with Bulgogi.

[pulykamell]

The best are fresh sardines that you grill over hot coals, but if we're talking the canned varieties, I have to say, if you're eating for health reasons I might gravitate towards the tomato-sauce rather than oil-packed variety. My favorites are the hot-pepper flavored versions (and are available usually packed in tomato or oil.) As for how to eat them, I've been eating sardines since I remember, and have always loved them and all related oily fish (mackerel, sprats, etc.) I take them straight out of the can with a bit of rye bread or Swedish crispbread. You really don't need much else with it. Perhaps a wedge of lemon for squirting, if you like.

[pulykamell]

Here's a list of ranked brands from a Chow thread. I actually don't know a lot of those brands and would be interested in checking them all out. Usually, we just get Croatian sardines or Latvian sprats at the local Polish grocery to satisfy our fatty fish needs.

[ivan astikov]

You need one of those 'key' things usually, to open the tins.

Oops. Should have read the OP.

[Dangerously Unqualified]

They may be all full of healthy stuff but I'm not too sure about including them as a health food protein source.

But for a good snacking, a nice can of sardines (I like the ones in mustard sauce when I can get them) goes down pretty good with a sleeve of fresh saltines. Or do as Winston suggested and lay out a mini tapas bar including fruits, cheeses, tinned meats (sardines of course but also consider baby clams and smoked oysters), crackers and assorted bits and peices and go to town.

Fried sardines in kimchee. That sounds awesome.

[Dangerously Unqualified]

You need one of those 'key' things usually, to open the tins.

Oops. Should have read the OP.

An old fashioned p-38 should do the trick

[Winston Smith]

Fried sardines in kimchee. That sounds awesome.

Fried sardines in kimchee? Really? Fried how? In olive oil? Butter? Battered & deep-fried? I'm fascinated by this combination.

[jali]

I haven't eaten sardines for years, but I remember insisting that I be allowed to try one as a youngster.

My dad served me my first sardine on a saltine cracker (straight out of the can). I was about 4 or 5 years old.

I decided that sardines were my new favorite food and I ate them as often as my mom would allow.

[Sleeps w/Butterflies]

O Exy you are brave. The smell keeps me away from them

[ivan astikov]

I like me some kippers on toast, on a rare occasion. Makes you burp like heck tho.

[jali]

I like me some kippers on toast, on a rare occasion. Makes you burp like heck tho.

Kippers are sardines???

Wow.

I like British food!

[ivan astikov]

I like me some kippers on toast, on a rare occasion. Makes you burp like heck tho.

Kippers are sardines???

Wow.

I like British food!

Nope, I just threw that one in - although IANAMarineBiologist, and they might be cousins, or somesuch.

[Myglaren]

Kippers are smoked herring.

[rodak from zortron]

I like the plain (in oil) on a big salad of my choice. Salad dressing? Pick your poison. With crackers, bread or as you like. Not bad.

[Feirefiz]

Here is a post saved from the old board:

Most people who have an aversion to sardines or are just reluctant to try them respond that way because of their aroma. Unless you are a major seafood fan or were exposed to them at an early age, the strong flavor and smell of fish oils involved are going to be off-putting. There is the additional Ick Factor™ of de-boning the larger sardines that are sold in oval tins or upright cans.

For starters, go out and spend some big bucks on The Real Thing™. Namely, King Oscar "Tiny Tots". Along with pickled herring, these tidbits of piscatorial perfection are the ne plus ultra of Scandihoovian snacking material. An extra bonus is added calcium content from consuming the undetectable bone structure of these minuscule morsels. These midget sardines are the size of your little finger and have almost nothing in common with the larger canned fish most people are used to.

Allegedly, the Crown Prince brand is also well-regarded. Neither of these products will have any offensive aromas or much of a pronounced fishy flavor. With some two grams per serving, both are a superb source of omega-3 oils and an excellent way to broaden your palate.

While these brands can be expensive at almost $4.00 per four ounce can, they are also of the very finest quality. Their flavor is so mild and delicate that they can be eaten all by themselves. Something that I urge you to do just to have an appreciation of how excellent these brisling sardines are compared to their larger cousins.

The ideal way to serve these superlative swimmers is on cocktail rye or thin sliced pumpernickel bread. Black bread also provides a nice foil for the lightly smoked flavor of these tasty fish. A thin schmear of good Mayonnaise along with a dribble of mustard or, even, Heinz ketchup can liven up the proceedings. Garnish with paper-thin slices of cucumber, sprigs of dill weed, watercress, chives, bread & butter pickles or whatever suits your fancy.

I usually make a spread out of larger sardines. The tomato sauce or mustard packed varieties are useful as a starter. Stir in a tablespoon or two of Mayonnaise and maybe some chopped scallion or pickle relish for gits and shiggles.

Once you have acquired a taste for this maritime delicacy, its time to graduate to the Big Leagues and sample Danish Sushi. Better known as pickled herring, a smorgasboard worthy of the name will offer up to a half-dozen or more different preparations of this national mainstay. Be it the traditional wine sauce (recipe to follow), or in sour cream, tomato, mustard, curry or dill-based dressings, this dish will feature prominently.

Small wonder, too, as pickled herring is one of the most nutritious and perfectly pH balanced foods there is. Here is an approximate recipe that I use to liven up the jarred herring in wine sauce available at Ikea.

Pickled Herring in Wine Sauce
Danish Appetizer or Buffet Course

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Serves: Two to four people

Ingredients:

½ Cup Water
¼ Cup White Vinegar
Tablespoon of Cane Sugar
Teaspoon of Whole Black Peppercorns
½ Teaspoon of Sea Salt
½ White Onion - Thinly Sliced Rings
Liquid from the jarred herring

Two four ounce jars of Ikea's Abba brand or:
one eight ounce jar of Vita brand herring in wine sauce (clear liquid).

Optional:

Small Sprigs of Dill Weed
Coins of sliced carrot
Small Quantity of White Wine

Preparation:

Mix all liquid ingredients plus peppercorns, salt and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer until the salt and sugar have dissolved. If using the optional white wine, make sure to evaporate all of the alcohol.before continuing. Add the carrot slices if they are being used.

Taste and adjust for balance between the vinegar, sugar and salt. The mixture should be predominantly sour with a slightly sweet contrast to it plus a salt tang in the finish. Add the sliced onion rings and optional dill weed into the still-hot liquid to infuse their flavor and soften the onions slightly.

Once the liquid has cooled completely, add the herring chunks, stir well, and continue marinating overnight or for up to 48 hours in order to improve the flavor.

Presentation:

Serve open-face on rye or pumpernickle with a thin spread of Mayonnaise or butter. Garnish with thinly sliced peeled cucumber plus a choice of chopped chives, bread & butter pickles, fresh dill weed sprigs plus some onions rings from the marinade.

[Inner Stickler]

I love sardines and herring and kippers and all that good stuff. I was in a production of Noises Off last spring. If you're not familiar, sardines play a big role in it. So at the reception for it, some people had set out a thing of sardines as a joke. Oh so tasty and the looks on people's faces were the best.

[Exy]

Zenster, I assume you didn't know about Amnesia, sorry your post was lost. I saw it before the move, though, and I saved it, and I guess other people did too. Thanks so much -- that was an awesome post!

[Zenster]

Hat tip to Feirefiz for preserving my post. (Are you anywhere near Munich? My company's headquarters is located there.)

[TheFlame]

I made sardine sandwiches tonight for tomorrow's lunch, so I'll let you know in the evening if they were any good or not.

Ingredients: Wholemeal pittas, red cabbage, tomatoes, some butter, 1 fresh chili, and the tinned sardines.

[Feirefiz]

Hat tip to Feirefiz for preserving my post.

We have to thank someone in the chat who brought it up but to be honest I don't remember who it was.

(Are you anywhere near Munich? My company's headquarters is located there.)

Not really, but I spent most of my childhood in Augsburg, the nearest city west of Munich.

[TheFlame]

I made sardine sandwiches tonight for tomorrow's lunch, so I'll let you know in the evening if they were any good or not.

Ingredients: Wholemeal pittas, red cabbage, tomatoes, some butter, 1 fresh chili, and the tinned sardines.

Well, they were surprisingly OK. I think next time I'll maybe mash the sardines up a bit more, put some lemon juice in and chop up the tomatoes a bit thinner.

[Count Blucher]

Q: Is there prep work involved? Do canned sardines come with the heads still on them?

Also, about that P-38:



Those four brownings make a heck of a mess out of the can. Are you supposed to toss it into the spinning blades instead?

[OneCentStamp]

I like canned sardines in tomato sauce, on a split, toasted baguette. A little mild cheese (Havarti is good) can be nice, as can lettuce and tomato, but they're all strictly optional as far as I'm concerned.