The Slender Sardine

The adjective in the title is meant to catch your attention and to uncurl the nose of those prejudicially predisposed against this sleek silvery canned fish.

My friends and family know I enjoy fine food and treat myself often to sumptuous culinary pleasures. Yet, when I am asked what I'm having for lunch and I reply "sardines, tomatoes, and chevre on rye crackers," I've seen noses curl ever so noticeably upward in a scrunched-up repugnance.

I admit that sardines have not, historically, been my favorite lunch. But, recently when searching for non-dairy dietary sources of calcium, the formerly lowly sardine started rising in my estimation. Depending on which source is citing the numbers, 3 ounces of sardines, canned with skin and bones, provides somewhere between 320 to 450 mg. of calcium. Remove the skin and bones and the calcium content is drastically reduced. A tiny tin of sardines is a virtual nutritional powerhouse.

In a 1984 essay on "The Unsung Sardine", published in Town & Country Magazine, author James Villas writes: "Ounce for ounce, sardines provide more calcium and phosphorus than milk, more protein than steak, more potassium than bananas, and more iron than cooked spinach." Other nutritional reference books confirm these facts. Plus, sardines are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly the heart-healthy oil, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

Perhaps you, like me, have (sometime in the past) tried sardines, but your ardor was stymied by more than one smelly tin of slippery sardines. Take heart—sardines vary dramatically from tin to tin. If your bones need strengthening, or you simply want to increase your portable lunch repertoire, perhaps it is time to crack a tin again. The Co-op has recently started carrying Portuguese sardines that are delightful. If you fear a fishy smell, ease your way into the experience with the variety packed with lemon. Then, move on to the others. These sardines are not cloying, smelly, nor mushy, so you can leave that foul sardine experience behind.

What constitutes a good canned sardine? Taste of course, but besides taste, there is appearance. Good sardines should be uniform in length and width. They should have firm pinkish flesh with silvery skin, and should be tightly and evenly laid in the tin. When opened, the aroma should be mild and pleasant. The bed of oily sauce should be heavy and clear. The Co-op's Portuguese sardines meet all these standards for quality.

After all these words on sardines, I must inform you that there is, in fact, no fish called a sardine. The term sardine refers to various small fish that are all members of the herring family. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia, where most every restaurant is reputed to serve sardines baked with tomatoes and herbs, as well as pasta with sardine sauce (pasta con le Sarde).

Pasta con le Sarde
Serves 4-6

3 T. raisins
1-cup bulb fennel leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 4-oz. cans sardines
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 t. red wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
1 lb penne or bucatini pasta
1/4 cup pine nuts

Place raisins in a small bowl of warm water to soak while preparing sauce and pasta.

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to boil in a large kettle, add fennel leaves, lower heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium enameled or stainless-steel skillet, add onion and sauté for 2 minutes over low heat. Add sardines and anchovies and mash well with a fork or the back of a spoon. Add red wine vinegar and pepper to taste, stir, raise heat to moderate, cook for 2-3 minutes, and remove pan from heat.

Transfer fennel leaves from boiling water to a chopping board and chop coarsely. Bring water in kettle back to the boil, add pasta, return to the boil, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente.

Meanwhile, drain raisins, chop, and add to the sardine sauce. Add chopped fennel leaves and the pine nuts, stir, return skillet to moderate heat and cook sauce for 2 minutes longer, stirring.

Drain pasta, transfer to a large serving bowl or dish, pour on sauce, and toss well with two forks.

From James Villas' The Town and Country Cookbook

Penne with Cream of Sardines

2 ripe salad tomatoes, peeled and seeded
6 T. extra virgin olive oil
4-oz. sardines in oil, drained
2 anchovy fillets in brine or oil, drained
Handful of fresh basil leaves
1 T. capers in vinegar, drained
Salt
1 lb. penne

Put the tomatoes, oil, sardines, anchovies, basil, and capers in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick, add a few tablespoons water.

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add salt and the penne and cook until al dente. Drain, mix with the sardine mixture and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Note: Conchiglie or farfalle can be substituted for penne. Serves 4

From Lorenza's Pasta by Lorenza de'Medici

Sardine Spread

1 can (about 4 3/8 ounces) sardines, with skin and bones
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. grated onion
1/4 t. sea salt
1 T. tahini (unsalted sesame paste, optional)
1 1/2 T. chopped fresh parsley
4 rye crackers
Freshly ground pepper

Open the can of sardines partway, and drain out the oil or water. Place the sardines, lemon juice, onion, salt, tahini, and parsley in a bowl, and mash with a fork until well blended. Spread on whole rye crackers, and grind some pepper on top.

From Food and Our Bones by Annemarie Colbin

Copyright: Copyright on articles and recipes are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted.

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