A friend of mine recently received some quite expensive gourmet sardines as a gift (Nuri Brand). This has caused me to start looking up sardines. I've had some in the past, but they were cheap ones from the grocery store and were OK, but not great. I'd like to get some good ones to try. And the recent talk of Sardines in the No Cook Dinner thread has led me to ask here.
So what brands do you like? How do you enjoy them.... straight out of the can, on a sandwich, on a salad, other?
Do you eat the bones or pick them out (if they are not deboned already)?
Well...my influence is taking over the Cadre! Sardines are my jam! I know it's not for everyone, but man do I like them. I have been eating them since I was a kid.
So I try to eat a good amount of oily fish. One...I like the way they taste. Wild caught salmon is relatively easy to buy...even if they are frozen fillets (FYI...most if not all salmon you buy is frozen at some point...even the so called fresh). But I sometimes I can't fit it into the weekly menu. For those other times...I eat sardines. I will through them in a salad...or often, instead of making tuna-fish salad, I will grab a can of sardines and make it with that instead. I really try to get fish in about three times a week. Although...most weeks it is only twice.
Sardines are REALLY good for you! They are a really good source of a lot of fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamins D,E, and K) and have a fair amount of B-Vitamins. They are also a good source of minerals like Selenium, Phosphorous, and Calcium. But what they are really known for are their Omega-3 Fatty Acids which are considered good for heart health and have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Oh, and I forgot to mention...there are one of the safest fish to eat in terms of mercury. If you are interested in a good overview of the nutrition side of sardines, check out this article:
Sardines 101
Canned sardines is probably what most people know and have access to. First of all...I don't know if you are concerned about ingredient quality or not...but if you are...make sure you find out what the sardines are stored in. You will have some in water, some in oil, some in other stuff like mustard, hot sauce, and tomato sauce. If it is anything other than water...check the ingredients. If you are worried about the likes of vegetable., canola, or soybean oils...a lot of sardines are packed in those type ingredients. Even the ones that are in tomato sauce or mustard. If I have a choice, I opt for the ones in water. My view is that if I want something on them, then I will put it on myself. My next choice would be extra virgin olive oil. And then third choice would be olive oil. If it has any of the other oils in them...I won't touch them. But that is just me.
The brands I buy the most are Seasons and Wild Planet. I buy the brand Seasons sardines the most. I like the fact that they are sustainably and wild caught. I can get them at most stores. In fact, I have bought them in a six pack at Costco and I have also found them at Ollie's (a discount store...a lot like Big Lots) for super cheap. But I can also find them at most other stores. Are they the cheapest? No...but they are nice meaty filets. In my opinion...Seasons brand is the best of price, quality, and ethical considerations. My next choice would be Wild Planet. These are also wildly available...but maybe just not as much. Costco pretty much has them all the time. And these sardines are one of the best in terms of quality in a can. This brand probably pays the most attention to ethical considerations the most. But they are pricey. Seasons brand will cost you any where between a buck and $2 a can, where as Wild Planet will cost you between $2 and $3 a can. After these two...I will buy almost any other...I do look for brands that say wild caught first. Wild caught have a better nutritional profile than farmed. But if it has soybean oil in it...I won't touch it.
As far as fresh sardines go...well...unless you live near a place that harvests sardines...you have likely never had a fresh one. But fresh frozen is an option. I have had grilled sardines (from fresh frozen) once and they are absolutely divine! Not much too them. Olive Oil, Salt Pepper, grill for 3-4 minutes and flip for another 3-4 minutes and they are done! They are super good this way. I think KJ has inspired me to get some this weekend and try it out again.
I have sort of mentioned how I eat them. Sometimes I eat them straight out of the can...and to be honest...I mike like them the best this way with either a little mustard or siracha sauce. I have made it into a sardine salad (like tuna-fish salad that you might put on a sandwich). I have used it for my protein in a leafy salad. I have also used it in an omelet. I will eat the bones no issues there...most of the time you will never notice them...they are super soft. But sometimes you do get some that have larger than normal spines that get a little crunchy...I think someone already mentioned this. I am also wanting to try a recipe I found recently that sounds pretty easy and really good!
Fisherman's Eggs
Okay...sorry about the long post and the geek out on sardines! But I really like them a lot. And in this day and age of highly processed crap...sardines are an easy way to get something completely nutritious! Hope this post helps KJ!
