We’ve all heard about those good Omega-3s and we all want to try to eat more sustainable seafood, right? Sardines are a great sustainable and healthy little fish, plus they are super yummy! Even The New York Times has sardines on their list of the 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating. This recipe for sardines on toast is the perfect healthy breakfast, especially if you have just made a loaf of fresh bread the past weekend, like Jon has been doing lately! I made this with a seed filled loaf that Jon made a few days before. The protein from the seeds and nuts in the bread, combined with the healthy fats and proteins in the sardines, kept me full all morning.
Our favorite sardines are the boneless and skinless kind from King Oscar. We’ve found these have the best taste, and you don’t have to worry about being squeamish if the full little tiny fish spinal cord is hanging out on top of your toast… You can totally eat sardine bones (they are soft, add calcium, and you barely notice them) but it just makes me squeamish to see the spinal cord, so I usually pay a few cents extra and buy the boneless sardines. To each her own!
There are several ways to garnish and top this toast. In the summer, you can’t go wrong with slices of fresh juicy tomatoes. In the winter, hot house cherry tomatoes work great, but recently when we were out of tomatoes (March is definitely NOT tomato season), I topped this with a simple gremolata made from finely chopped lemon zest, parsley, and garlic. Essentially, you want your topping to be herby and slightly acidic, so feel free to experiment with what you have in the pantry.
Sardines on Toast
Serves 2 for a light breakfast, 1 for a hearty breakfast
2 slices of fresh or day old bread
1 can of sardines, packed in oil
1-2 cloves of garlic
Handful of cherry tomatoes, or 1 large tomato, sliced
Fresh herbs (parsley, basil, and/or dill work well here), chopped
Salt and pepper
- Toast bread slices
- Peel garlic and slice a small piece of the tip to expose the inside. Hold the garlic between your fingers and rub garlic clove on both sides of the toast while it is still warm, grating down the clove.
- Open the can of sardines and drain excess oil. Distribute the sardines between the two pieces of toast.
- Top with sliced tomatoes, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.