Linguine with sardines, chilli and capers

From Delia How to Cook

Ingredients

8 oz (225 g) dried linguine
1 x 120 g tin of sardines in olive oil, well drained and the fish flaked into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon sardine oil, reserved from the tin for frying
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and patted dry
1 clove garlic, chopped
7 oz (200 g) tinned Italian chopped tomatoes, well drained, or 4 medium, ripe tomatoes, skinned and diced
a few fresh basil leaves, roughly torn, to garnish
salt and freshly milled black pepper
Equipment

Method

First of all you need to cook the pasta.

Always use a large cooking pot and make sure you have at least 4 pints (2.25 litres) of water for every 8 oz (225 g) of pasta and 1 level tablespoon of salt.

Bring the water up to a good fierce boil before the pasta goes in and cook it for 8-12 minutes without a lid, until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the tablespoon of sardine oil in a small frying pan, fry the garlic and chilli for about 4 minutes, until softened, then add the tomatoes, sardines and capers and gently heat them through, stirring occasionally.

Taste and season with salt and freshly milled black pepper.

When the pasta is ready, drain it into a colander, then quickly return it to the saucepan.

Add the sauce, toss it around thoroughly for 30 seconds or so, then serve in hot pasta bowls with the torn basil sprinkled over.

Fisherman’s eggs en cocotte

From The Silver Spoon
Serves 4

Ingredients

25g butter, plus extra for greasing
80g canned sardines in oil, drained
4 eggs
1 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprig, chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees if you wish to bake the eggs. Grease four ramekins with butter. Remove the bones from the sardines and chop the flesh. Divide the flesh among the ramekins, break an egg into each dish, season with salt and pepper to taste and dot with the butter

Place the ramekins in a roasting tin, add boiling water to come about halfway up the sides and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the egg whites are lightly set.

Having a pretty horrendous week and needed to go back to the office. Had a couple of tins of sardine and decided to google for a recipe for them so that I can at least do some cooking. Found this very simple recipe and decided to go with it. Love how the egg smoothens the taste of the sardine. Very good combination!

Fettuccine (fuscilli) with sardines and spinach

From Let’s Cook – italian and pasta
Serves 4

Ingredients 120g sardines in olive oil
400g fettuccine
40g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
50g one day old white bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
50g pine nuts
125g chestnut mushrooms, wiped and sliced
125g baby spinach leaves, rinsed
150ml creme fraiche
rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drain the sardines and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the bones, then cut the fish into 2.5cm pieces and reserve.

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions, or until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt half the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the bread crumbs and fry, stirring until they begin to turn crisp. Add the garlic and pine nuts and continue to cook until golden-brown. Remove from the pan and reserve. Wipe the pan clean.

Melt the remaining butter in the pan, add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until beginning to wilt. Stir in the creme fraiche and lemon rind and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until the spinach is just cooked. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta thoroughly and return to the pan. Add the spinach sauce and sardine pieces and gently toss together. Tip into a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with the toasted bread crumbs and pine nuts and serve immediately.

Lots of different ingredients in this recipe; but it seems to work well, the key two ingredients is of course the sardines and the pine nuts. I was too lazy to blend my bread into crumbs and I thought a more rustic way of doing it ala Jamie Oliver, is to tear the bread into large chunks and pop it into the oven with the pine nuts until it’s all golden and crispy.