# canned sardines



## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Now I like canned sardines just fine.

Usually eat them on lightly buttered bread, seasoned with a little salt and pepper.

If you eat them, what's your style?

Stef


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

I put them in a pan with a little soy sauce and generous amount of finely chopped fresh ginger root, then let them cook down on low heat until most of the liquid is gone. We eat them with hot rice. Believe it or not, it's one of my son's favorite foods. Very salty and fishy - yumm!


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

My favorite way to eat them is to make them into a pasta sauce. I saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chopped up sardines, olives, white wine, oregano, black pepper and chili flakes. Let the wine reduce by half. Add a little tomato sauce. Let reduce a bit more. Stir in Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Add pasta (I usually use buccatini or spaghetti), toss and serve. Easy and really good.


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

right off the canning line! on buttered toast with a light coat of pepper!! murray, your idea sounds great! unfortunately i am the only sardine eater in the house. will try your recipe the next time we are down too Blacks harbor though!


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## raybait1 (Sep 30, 2006)

Right out of the can, on a cracker!


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

what your favorite type? Pacific or Atlantic? two different species! mine? Atlantic from the Conner Brothers plant!


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Anyone ever try the flavored kind: in tomato sauce, mustard sauce or hot sauce?

I don't know if sardines and smelt are the same thing with different names; they used to be dirt cheap. Now a 1# bag is $4.00 (maybe more?). 
My Mother taught me how to cook them; seasoned flour and then fried crisp in a black iron skillet. 

She worked at a cannery in Germany after WWII. Often she would cook "buckling" (the umlout is missing). Then she put them in a marinade of vinegar and onions. Since we had no refrigerator that was probably a method of preserving. 

Canned sardines are under $1.00/can locally, so still a good buy.

Stef


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

sardines are young herring while smelt are another type of fish
http://www.brunswick.ca/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smelt
any and all sardines in what ever sauce they come in! around a buck a can here as well! 
near one of the army bases i grew up on there was a smelt run in the spring, can still recall fishing there


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

raybait1 said:


> Right out of the can, on a cracker!



there you go. i'm a traditionalist as well.


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## Joe123 (Feb 24, 2008)

Way raybait1 said is the way we eat our sardines.

We have tried the other sardines that is in hot sauce tomato sauce or mustard sauce. We just don't care for the taste.


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## snoozy (May 10, 2002)

The Asian stores have acres of cheap "canned sardines in tomato sauce". I prefer them in olive oil or water. This is what I do with them:

Spanish Sardine Tapa

Take an oven-proof casserole dish and alternate layers of sliced onion, sardines and roasted red pepper( canned or jarred works just fine). Sprinkle with garlic, too, and fresh oregano is a nice addition as well. Then drizzle liberally with extra virgin olive oil. A lot. Don't be shy now. Think like a Spaniard. Put it in the oven to heat through (pick a temperature, any temperature.) When it comes out all bubbling, let it cool a little, then take really good French bread (which means, get Italian bread) and start dipping. Sop up that oil, too! You will not believe how something so simple can be so good.

Also works with canned Jack Mackerel. This is a recipe I saw on a Frugal Gourmet video once.


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## SuburbanHermett (Jan 12, 2009)

MMmmm sardines  Great thread Stef! I am currently on a sardine kick right now. I wonder if its the lack of daylight or the cold?

I love them all, packed in oil, tomato sauce or mustard. I like them on crackers or bread too. I am going to try Ajaxlucy, Murray in ME and Snoozy's recipes soon  thanks for the recipes you three 

Ok, here is my all time absolute favorite way to eat sardines (oil packed). Its quick and easy and no cooking.

I take the sardines and smash them with a fork in a small bowl. I add olive oil to make it like the consistancy of like tuna salad (not too thin and not too lumpy) add a chopped clove of garlic (or 2 if they are small) salt and pepper, tiny dash of oregano and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve on a bed of lettuce (romaine is my current lettuce of the moment)... with a hard boiled egg and some crusty bread w/butter and a mellow merlot and I am getting carried away again lol.

Warning! this is insane, off the hook, put on your happy hats, good! It will be hard not to eat it all - all by yourself. Enjoy!


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

Snoozy, I've had sardines prepared that way (except for the red peppers) several times. It's really good.

SuburbanHermett, that sounds delicious. It has most of the flavor components of the classic French dish, salad Nicoise. I need to go get some sardines tomorrow.


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## Amylb999 (Jan 28, 2007)

right out of the can for me,,but it has to be the ones in tomato sauce.


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## MushCreek (Jan 7, 2008)

King Oscar- the little double row ones. Right out of the can. Sometimes on crackers, but usually 'neat'.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Are they really that good?? I have never tried them, but would like to. Should I buy the ones packed in oil, and eat on toast with pepper??
Is that the most basic way to decide if I like them (I am not a fussy eater)??
what brand??


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Yummmm!

Sardines at my house would never make it to the pot.

Straight from the can---mustard sauce preferred.

Nothing as good as a Sardine Sandwich!


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## FeralFemale (Apr 10, 2006)

I love sardines in mustard sauce on a ritz cracker.

Then I had a kosher brand that was in lemon and pepper sauce about a year ago. Found it in the 'Jewish' section of the supermarket. Let me tell you...it was about the best thing I ever tasted. I have those plain, right out of the can (or on a Ritz cracker). You gotta try the ones in lemon and pepper sauce. Outstanding!

BTW...smelts, when you can get them fresh (as you can, here, in the streams off Lake Superior) are incredible. I only ever had the frozen Atlantic smelt, but the fresh ones...that is one of the things EVERYONE needs to try before they die. Sweet, delicate...amazing!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

one can a day. every day for years now. i buy the ones called millionaires. i dont like the new brunswick sardines. eat them from the can also. ...Georgia.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

Love sardines with crackers...one of the Doctors I worked for was from the Philippines and we would all eat the ones in a hot tomato sauce...Loved those things...around here, we mainly get the ones in mustard.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

if you've never had them, smoked oysters are worth trying. they are awesome on a saltine as well.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

yes, smoked oysters are excellent.! i always put them out with crackers when i have company. i find clover leaf the best. because i use them so often smoked oysters, muscles,sardines,kippered herring,salmon etc. are stocked as a part of my preps. ...Georgia


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## gunsmithgirl (Sep 28, 2003)

> Anyone ever try the flavored kind: in tomato sauce, mustard sauce or hot sauce?


 I tried the ones in hot sauce, but the hot sauce is not very "hot" for me.

I always buy plain ones and add my own hot sauce.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

OK...I tried the bumble bee ones in oil on a cracker with pepper. they were delish. I am afraid to buy sardines from the asain markets because of all the problems with Chinese products. The bumblebee ones were from Canada, and were larger than I thought they would be. I ate about a half a sardine per cracker, and ate the whole can myself for lunch. I plan to try the mustard ones next. Thanks for the advice, I have some new prep items to pick up now.
Someone mentioned jack mackeral....can anyone describe that??? Its considerably cheaper than canned salmon.....thanks


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## SuburbanHermett (Jan 12, 2009)

Bumpity-bump!

I have no info on Jack Mackeral, sorry Beaglebiz. 

I like the smoke oysters too. On a ritz cracker, with mayonaise squeezed from a bottle in a circle with a few drops of lemon juice in the center of the circle. Then plop the oyster on top and pop the whole thing in your mouth 

I thought of this thread today as I opened a new to me brand of sardines. Its called Alshark, Moroccan sardines; comes in a little tin covered in a bright yellow box. Found it in the ethnic food isle at Shoppers Food Warehouse for around $1. These were packed in oil. They are big! only 2 in a tin and they are so very pretty. Honest! I had a hard time convincing myself to eat them b/c they were so pretty  They are this pretty blue and silver color. The only downer is that they still have scales on them, so those have to be scratched off first. I think that I like these the best. They had more of a "chew" to them and less of a "mush" texture. Kinda like pasta that is "al Dente."


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

Fried with soysauce and served over hot rice with a fried egg and ketchup on top.

Fried in soysauce and served on hot buttered toast.

Smashed with butter and spread on bread.


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

newfieannie said:


> one can a day. every day for years now. i buy the ones called millionaires. i dont like the new brunswick sardines. eat them from the can also. ...Georgia.


you don't like sardines from New Brunswick!?!?:bash: hey more for me! know people up in the plant and fishermen on the boats (aint no way theys getting me i deep water!:help so know where they come from! any time i can i'll take a trip back too Passamaquoddy Bay, even if its just in my dreams!:cowboy: i'll eat farmed salmon as well, though like that as a fillet! can salmon, tuna, herring, or sardines was what we grew up on, that and spam, corned beef and bologna (thick sliced and butter fried with fried eggs and toast!:rock


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