I’ve never made the sardine sauce from scratch, going to the grocer and picking everything thing up has become something of a family ritual. I always have canned sardines in the pantry and may have to try making the sauce but probably not for St Joseph’s Day. Do you eat fresh sardines as well? I love them grilled.
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Had fresh sardines years ago when vacationing in the Northern California. Don’t see a lot of small fish here in Fla. , that would be bait
The talk about sardines made me think of canned smoked herring and canned herring in sauce , which I have on hand. Might experiment with herring and pasta. Found this Haitian recipe
https://loveforhaitianfood.com/spageti-ak-aranso-spaghetti-w-smoked-herring/
The first time I had fresh sardines I was in Portugal, where they are very popular. They were cooked over charcoal on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. We were in a coastal fishing town, not usually frequented by tourists and I’ve been eating them ever since. They are not easy to find but I used to work in an area with a large Portuguese population. The large fish market always got a shipment of fresh sardines on Thursdays so would often stop by. They are hard to find locally though frozen ones randomly show up.
Lol on the bait. Sardines wouldn’t make any NJ fish minimums.
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Greek restaurants and markets (in Toronto, Astoria, Chicago, prob Detroit) also sometimes sell fresh sardines.
Now that you mention it I think some Greek restaurants in NJ may as well though the closest one to me does not. I’ll have to be on the look out (whenever it is that I’m ready to eat in a restaurant again.
Yes! Actually, lemon juice or acidity from another source i.e. tomatoes, fruits is fine, too. Remember to consume vit. C with any food that contains iron. Some ingredients are better consumed together as they aid absorption. I remember reading vit C boosts iron absorption by 3 times.
Sardines with pasta is a Sicilian classic. I use tinned sardines or smoked sprats as I always have them on hand.
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In Matoshinhos, Portugal whilst waiting for the partner getting a haircut the hairdresser made small talk with me (and cutting partner’s hair at the same time). She asked about my plans and I said to eat and drink. She burst out laughing… “I have never heard anyone say that”. “What Portuguese food/dishes do you like?”, me “Sardinhas Assadas and Cozido a Portuguesa”. She shrieked so loud it scared me. Then she walked over and hugged and kissed me. I happen to like the top 2 most beloved food in Portugal. When we left she said good seafood is to be found everywhere in Matosinhos so it doesn’t matter which restaurants one goes to. That’s why we took the long tram ride 3 times, from Porto.
Sardinhas assdas: grilled sardines (in Portugal always over charcoals)
Cozido a Portuguesa: a stew with root vegs and all kinds of meat including offal. You eat the solids and the braising liquids separately.
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That’s how you find the best food. We were in a small “working class” town on the southern coast that didn’t see many tourists. Some how we ended up at this little place and it was one of the best meals ever.
The Cozido sounds like something I would adore. Since it will probably be a while until I can make it to a good Portuguese restaurant I think I’ll start looking for a recipe.
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