I’ve always enjoyed canned sardines (see my post from May 10) but I’v
e never had fresh ones. As you might imagine, here in DC, fresh sardines aren’t something you can just pick up at Safeway; they take some searching for. I found mine at Blacksalt Fish Market and Restaurant in the Foxhall neighborhood (http://www.blacksaltrestaurant.com/). Blacksalt is great. They sell only sustainability managed fish and shellfish. Also I have to give them an A+ for customer service. When I was there, they didn’t have sardines in the display case. When I asked when they might have sardines, the monger confided that they did have some in the restaurant’s refrigerator and if I didn’t need too many, he’d be willing to sell me a few. Score! I only needed six.
Sardines are very affordable. My pretty, little fishies only set me back 7-bucks and some change, though I did have to cut the heads off myself (w
eird!). I used a very simple recipe; marinating them in a little lemon juice, parsley and olive oil then a few minutes on the grill. I served them on a bed of arugula and a cucumber/watermelon salad (made extra marinade to use as salad dressing). In the interest of full disclosure, there were lots of little fish bones to deal with. However, the sardines were really delicious.
Grilled Sardines
Serves 2
6 medium whole fresh sardines, gutted, rinsed inside and out, and patted dry
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
•1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Directions
1. In a large glass bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the sardines in the marinade coating them well inside and out. Let sit for about 20-minutes.
2. Heat a grill to a medium-high heat (you can also use a grill pan indoors). Coat the grill with cooking spray. Grill sardines until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with a salad and lemon wedges.
Spaghetti with Sardines, Dill and Fried Capers
I came across this recipe in the May 09 issue of Gourmet Magazine. It has all the delicious savory Mediterranean ingredients we love here at the Yellow Door! Even better the recipe comes together quickly and all of these ingredients are really inexpensive; great for a weeknight dinner. I used Goya brand sardines. There are three large fillets in each can. As the recipe suggests I made fresh breadcrumbs from a left-over baguette I had, but any bread would work just fine.
I served this with green salad on the side. Tossing in some steamed broccoli or asparagus would up the veggie quotient in this dish too.
A word of caution! We accidently ate the ENTIRE six-serving dish in one sitting; it is THAT good!!
How Much?
Spaghetti - $2.50
Sardines - $6.00 (2 cans @ about $3.00 each)
Capers (3oz) - $1.99
Fresh Bread Crumbs - $1.00
Fresh Dill - $1.50
Garlic - $0.75
TOTAL - $13.75
Spaghetti with Sardines, Dill and Fried Capers
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup (about 3 - 4oz) drained capers, patted dry
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from a baguette)
1/2 cup chopped dill
2 to 3 (3 3/4-ounces) cans sardines in olive oil
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped or force garlic through a garlic press)
Preparation:
Cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of well- salted boiling water until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry capers until they "bloom" and are just a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Toast bread crumbs in same skillet, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with capers, dill, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Add sardines to skillet with their oil (if using 3 cans sardines, discard oil from 1 can) over medium-high heat and add garlic to the skillet. Sauté until sardines are golden in spots around edges, about 2 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta. Add pasta to skillet with cooking water and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Toss until pasta is coated and sauce is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve topped with seasoned crumbs.
e never had fresh ones. As you might imagine, here in DC, fresh sardines aren’t something you can just pick up at Safeway; they take some searching for. I found mine at Blacksalt Fish Market and Restaurant in the Foxhall neighborhood (http://www.blacksaltrestaurant.com/). Blacksalt is great. They sell only sustainability managed fish and shellfish. Also I have to give them an A+ for customer service. When I was there, they didn’t have sardines in the display case. When I asked when they might have sardines, the monger confided that they did have some in the restaurant’s refrigerator and if I didn’t need too many, he’d be willing to sell me a few. Score! I only needed six.
eird!). I used a very simple recipe; marinating them in a little lemon juice, parsley and olive oil then a few minutes on the grill. I served them on a bed of arugula and a cucumber/watermelon salad (made extra marinade to use as salad dressing). In the interest of full disclosure, there were lots of little fish bones to deal with. However, the sardines were really delicious. 
