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CzechCzar
Use the Fat, Luke!
that sounds awesomeStumbled on a great combination the other day when grilling a half a left over prime rib - sardines and horseradish sauce. Two thumbs up.
that sounds awesomeStumbled on a great combination the other day when grilling a half a left over prime rib - sardines and horseradish sauce. Two thumbs up.
Nuno Mendes: Absolutely. Mackerel and sardines are so ingrained in our food and food culture; it’s synonymous with any Portuguese person. We've been eating this since our childhood. I remember the first time I ate sardines, I did get quite a few spines suck my throat, but it's all part of the learning process. I fell in love with him from a very early age.
NM: When you’re shopping for them at a market you can see the difference between the frozen ones and the fresh ones. With the fresh ones there’s this shimmering that you have on the fish; they literally glow and are super shiny. Their gills are perfectly intact and the eyes are perfectly clear. You can smell it, but it’s not a strong smell of fish. They hold well. They have almost a slight rigor mortis; they are quite tight and firm, not flabby at all – extremely firm. When sardines start getting a little older they lose the beautiful shine that they have.
I always prefer them to be a little smaller; I think they're a little sweeter. The flavor profile of the meat is incredibly sweet. It’s an oily fish with a nice sweetness and richness to them. I must say that as much as I love the way we cook them in Portugal, I feel like sometimes they might be slightly overcooked. One of the things you have to be careful about with sardines is not to overcook them. Also, because they are such a bony fish, understanding where the bone lines are so you can basically either score them before you grill them or maybe butterfly them and then put them back on the grill. If you grill them just a little under, the meat is perfect.
FL: Big flaky salt. And you salt it right before you put on the grill.You always want to salt them really heavily. When the salted fish hits the grill it creates this beautiful steam that draws the moisture from the fish and also creates a barrier so the meat doesn't stick to the grill. Rock salt. Maldon salt. In Portugal, we use sea salt.
NM: I salt them a little bit before and then hit them on a really hot grill. Make sure you find the hot spot on the grill to give them a hard sear. Once they're marked and not going to stick, transfer them to a cooler part of the grill let them ride for a couple of minutes and then take them off. They cook so quickly, and you want to have a little bit of tension when you bite into the meat, so you definitely want to wait. But again, you don't want them super overcooked. I do recommend you scale them first. I think a lot of people in Portugal don't scale them, but it becomes very hard to navigate through it.
You can make Nuno Mendes's recipe for Grilled Sardines with Green Peppers at home. Photo provided by author.And I must say this from personal experience, and it's something very interesting. When I was doing the book I was cooking sardines on a rooftop grill in Lisbon, so we were reasonably close to the sea and the riverfront. I left the sardines in a little salt outside on the tray, and we had seagulls come in and start munching on them while I was inside. So, if you're by the sea and you cooking sardines, watch for the seagulls. They like to sit around and wait for a sucker to go in into the flat; that’s their attack strategy. They stole my sardines!
FL: When you flip them do you prefer to use a spatula to lift them up or tongs?NM: I try not to oil the grill or oil the sardines. Maybe just a touch of oil on the sardines or rub a little bit of oil on the part of the grill you’re about to use. If you put too much oil on the grill it’s going to burn, it’s going to smoke up or flame up. And again, if you do the same to the fish you have the same result. You want to try to go as hot as possible. And don't flip them too early because you want to sear it and achieve a good seal on that.
My Lisbonby Nuno MendesNM: I always prefer spatulas. Tongs are not delicate enough; they're too hard and they bruise the fish too much. I prefer to use something just as delicate as the fish.
NM: One of the typical things in Portugal is to serve them with a roasted green pepper salad. And it's very traditional as well when you get a really good quality rustic bread, you rest them on the bread. The oils from the sardines – all that juiciness and salt – goes into the bread.
My favorite way to eat sardines is to drop them on the grill. On the side, you get some green bell peppers and grill them really hard on all sides. Take them out and transfer them to a bowl. Cover them and let them steam so you can take the skin off. Once the skin is off, you julienne. Take slices of the grill roasted pepper and get a nice white sweet onion – one that you can eat raw – and slice that paper thin as well. You can drop them on the grill if they're too hard, but I like them raw. Marinate them with a little lemon juice and a little bit of salt. You could do slivers of garlic if you want. And then we use a little bit of marjoram on top. You can use basil as well, which is nice but it's not as Portuguese. Serve that on the side with a couple wedges of lemon and some piri piri chili oil or a good splash of olive oil over the whole thing.
FL: I can't wait to go see my in-laws!I like to dress my sardines the moment they come off of the grill. I rest them on a big, thick slice of country bread – it could be slightly grilled or not. If you want to get fancy, rub a little garlic and olive oil on the bread and then drop the sardines on top and let them cool down. Then eat them from there. Start by eating the sardines first. Remove all the bones. Then you end up with this lovely bread has got all the sardine flavor; you eat the bread, and it is very nice.
NM: Yes. I think they will be stoked for that.
BTW, these Polar smoked sardines really 'out-classed' my old favorite...King Oscar sardines (lightly smoked, also boneless, and from Norway’s fjords and coastal waters), tinned w/ jalapeños.My Dear Fellow Sardine Lovers:
After hearing good things about Polar Smoked Sardines (thanx TexLaw & malocchio...fell in love with the see-thru cans), and having picking-up quite a few cans...I made this simple dish tonight for a light dinner w/ the Mrs.;
Italian Macaroni Salad (w/ Parmesan Italian Dressing), with Polar Smoked Sardines and a
sprinkling of Paprika!
View attachment 1078659
Love the smoke flavor, no bones (although a good source of calcium), skin-on, not salty yet very firm (easy to toss / mix w/ salad etc...& won't turn to 'mush' in the process), no fishy after-taste and like the companies saying..."These sardines have the perfect combination of smokiness and freshness in a
single bite".
BTW, these Polar smoked sardines really 'out-classed' my old favorite
I just found the same sardines as TexLaw ( above post )...Will try them tonight. $2 at the Grocery Outlet , which sells off brand and close out products at very good prices. Much of what POLAR brand sells originates in China , but these sardines are from Latvia.... I'll critique the quality after tonight's salad ...The picture is NOT of an open can, it has a clear plastic pull-tab top !View attachment 1076861View attachment 1076862View attachment 1076863View attachment 1076864View attachment 1076865
I've heard of sprats , but I believe this is my first time eating them... after the 3rd tin I will call these " heavily " smoked, and very tasty....They are actually sprats, which is a national dish in Latvia (look at the skin colour and fish shape). Very tasty and smoked, I love them, but they are not "real" sardines (in the sense of the atlantic sardine AKA Pilchards). It is often sold as sardine or bristling sardine.
They are really nice, they go very well inside many dishes, like salads or pasta. I often ended up finishing the tin before the dish is readyI've heard of sprats , but I believe this is my first time eating them... after the 3rd tin I will call these " heavily " smoked, and very tasty....
I buy Moroccan canned sardines in water. They are very close to Portuguese' quality and appearance, yet about 60 % cheaper.