An Open Letter

Dear Sirs and/or Madams,

Hi! How are you? I hope this blog post finds you well. Me? I''m ok. Wait. Not really. I need to get something off my chest and I hope I can steal a moment or two of your time.

After many months of soul-searching, consultations with family, advisers, clergy and significant others, it has come to my attention that there is something I can no longer hide and must respectfully reveal to you. I don't want this to affect our relationship in any way whatsoever, and I'm hoping that my revelation will be met with compassion, understanding, and nary a flicker of grimace or snarl that I've come to expect whenever I begin to talk about what I must say to you here.

I love tinned sardines.

There. I said it! And.... there you go. I knew this would happen, I just knew it! Come back! Please, I'm not finished yet. Please?

Ok, thanks. So listen, I want you to know that I'm really the same person you've always known. And even though you've the first to serve up a big giant plate of snark and disapproval whenever I take out that distinctive tin can at lunch I want you to know that I don't hold that against you. And no, it doesn't upset me either when you ask me for the 35th time if I'm "really going to eat that?" and you'll be happy to know I don't hold it against you that you believe my love of tinned fish gives you an excuse to pass judgment on my meal. In fact I almost find it comical watching your face contort and twist in disgust as if I just committed the crime of the century or said you wore granny drawers or still sucked your thumb as an adult or something rude like that.

But as of today, enough is enough. I'm coming out of the closet, so to speak, and professing my love for tinned fish. And here's why:

1. I happen to like the way they taste. Rich and distinctive with a soft to medium-firm texture, I've always loved their flavor and if I can't find fresh sardines (a term used to describe a whole variety of small fish) to cook myself then the canned variety suits me just fine. And please remember that "fishy" is subjective.

2. They pack some pretty powerful nutrients. They have a decent amount of omega-3 fatty acids and are also great sources of iron. How can you argue?

3. I've enjoyed them since I was a wee lad. That's right -- I've eaten them as long as I can remember, thanks to my dad who would share the tangy flavor of sardines in mustard sauce with a few saltine crackers with me as a snack. So when you feel the need to knock this diminutive, smelly and often maligned fish, you're gonna have to go through Pops.

4. They make me happy. A few high-quality sardines packed in oil, a hunk of baguette and a few celery stalks and I'm as happy as a clam. Or sardine. In a can. I am. You get the picture.

Now that I've said my peace I think it's best if we grow together and move forward. Next time you see me carting around that little unmistakable can I hope you realize it's my lunch you're making fun of and that you'll think twice before knocking it. And if you're lucky I might even let you have one.

Just kidding.

................................................................................................................

Sardine and Celery Salad adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Hot damn! You have no idea how much better I feel now. Seriously. And now that I have that off my chest I'd like to recommend this little salad that appeared a few years ago in Food & Wine. It makes a nifty little lunch when paired with rye crackers or bread, and it's so flavorful that you needn't make much. Imported high quality sardines from Spain or Portugal are the best in my humble opinion, and make sure you also use a high quality mustard. You know what they say about better ingredients and all. The original recipe called for cilantro but I prefer parsley with the sardines.

Ingredients
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grainy mustard (make sure it's good!)
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Four 4 3/8-ounce cans sardines in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
4 large celery ribs, peeled and cut into 1-inch matchsticks
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, mix the parsley with the olive oil, grainy and Dijon mustards, red onion and the lemon juice and zest. Fold in the sardines and celery and season with salt and pepper. Chill and serve or pack in a plastic container. Enjoy with rye crackers.

Comments

[Mrs. Fox]

I don't comment often, but I had to on this post because it really made me laugh. I don't think *I* will try sardines, but I'm glad someone likes them. :)

[Ronnie]

Matt,Seems like you're not alone. Many of us can now come out of the closet about our love for canned sardines. Funny, funny post.
Glad I stopped by.

[Laura]

Just the word 'sardine' reminds me of my Grandpa Ireland. We ate them together beginning when I was a wee girl. Part of the fun was the loud complaints about the smell from Grandma. We laughed and laughed and ate a couple of cans - in mustard - at a time.

My favorite way to eat them is straight from the can....with a plastic fork......

[briana]

You've created a stirring, nay... a Craving for sardines in my bellehy! My dad always used to eat them (to my mother's disgust) and I'd always have to steal a bite. mmmmmm Can't wait to get to the grocery store now. Thanks for this post! I love your site and anxiously await each new post and the lovely photos.

[june2]

I loved tinned sardines in oil before I went vegetarian! On toast, of course, though I often ate them straight out of the can. I always left the bones in and deeply relished their crumbly texture.

There's another sardine lover with one of my favorite posts:

http://blue_moon.typepad.com/blue_lotus/2006/02/sometimes_we_ju.html

[Heatheronhertravels]

My husband makes pilchard curry - Yuck, not my favourite but if you're really keen I could get you the recipe! Fresh sardines grilled on a beach barbeque - now that's a different story!

By the way - are you aware that it's Fairtrade fortnight here in the UK? - and I've been trying to persuade food bloggers to give it a mention - perhaps I could twist your arm - take a look at my posts if you're interested.

[Pedro]

I Matt I found your blog a few weeks ago and I bookmarked it imediatly! I loved everything, but the photos are subberb.
I do LOVE canned sardines (although I prefer fresh ones from the market), but I am Portuguese and here sardine is an institution! I didn't even knew that you had canned sardines in the US. Great blog keep the good job!

[Pedro]

I Matt I found your blog a few weeks ago and I bookmarked it imediatly! I loved everything, but the photos are subberb.
I do LOVE canned sardines (although I prefer fresh ones from the market), but I am Portuguese and here sardine is an institution! I didn't even knew that you had canned sardines in the US. Great blog keep the good job!

[Sophie]

What's not to love?

We always have at least four cans of sardines in tomato sauce in the cupboard ready for emergency lunches

My hungover husband has just gone off to work this morning with a tin of sardines and a couple of slices of granary!

[JudyH]

I grew up eating canned sardines and still love them. I had no idea there were so many that like them. By the way, I loved your blood orange and Campari cocktail. Lovely to drink and beautiful to look at.

[Twinkle]

My mom swears by these and I enjoyed those cheap Asian cans with the tomato sauce but I could never get over the bones.

I've worked by way up to the boneless tinned sardines but I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on something. Any tips on getting over my tiny fishbone phobia?

[DocChuck]

Anyone who does not like canned sardines . . . well, they just . . . I'm not sure, I just think they may have a mindset that does not benefit their palate, nor add to their appreciation of life ;>)

Open a can of sardines packed in oil, drain, sprinkle liberally with Tabasco sauce, and eat atop a Triscuit . . . GAWD . . . that's heaven on earth.

[the sweetest thing]

I love them too. Now I´m sure that you had an ancestor from the north of Spain. Here,preserving fish, seafood and vegetables is an art. I love canned sardines in olive oil, delicious!!!!try them with fresh white bread and a tomato and sweet onions salad...ummmm, whith wine vinegar dressing....so simple and so tasty.

[White On Rice Couple]

Thanks for this humble and honest open letter. I grew up eating it and you justified your reasons with class! Great! Thumbs up to you!

[Ju'eta]

First of all, I absolutely love your blog!!! Anyway, I loooooove sardines! We have a delightful way of eating it. Toasted sourdough, slathered with good butter, topped with sardines, squeeze of lemon and sprinkled with sea salt and cracked pepper! Yummmmm!!!

[melissa mcgee]

i'm sardinian. my family comes from sardinia. so i guess that makes me a sardine. and i guess that means you love me. :)

[S]

Served on hot buttered toast with slices of hardboiled egg, what's not to love? XOXO

[Angela at mommy bytes]

King Oscar two-layer brisling are the absolute best!!

[maru]

I love the "reminds me of my dad" comments as that is the first thing I thought too...though any mail order food item arriving in styrofoam on dry ice (I'm thinking dry aged rib eyes, smoked sturgeon from NYC and one, yearly tin of caviar) do the same...

For us, it was sardines on ritz with a bit of cream cheese.

In other canned fish worlds, my sister taught me to enjoy tinned, smoked oysters and I'm not ashamed, I tell you, not ashamed!

[olivier blanchard]

With the exception of the enormous grilled sardines one can buy just fifty meters from the pier on Ile Sainte Marguerite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannes#.C3.8Ele_Ste_Marguerite_.28St_Marguerite_Island.29), I have to admit that canned sardines hold a special place in my heart as well. As a wee French boy, canned sardines were kind of a treat... so I still eat them right out of the can. Other ways I've enjoyed canned sardines: On a baguette with a sliver of butter, thrown on a bed of linguine with extra virgin olive oil, or as a substitute for tuna in a (real) salade nicoise.

[Cindy]

When I was a child I loved the tinned sardines in mustard sauce.
No idea how on earth my mother got me to eat these, but I couldn't get enough of them. Then again I also loved keiska (polish blood sausage)...but that's another story.

Lovely blog.

[Philippe]

I love sardines in can. Or sardines in a bottle. Spanish style sardines are the best a lil bit spicy to give it a lil kick. Try a sardines sandwich with feta, a lil wasabe-mayo and a lot of rocket serve on ciabatta. Yummy goodness. Try milkfish in bottles or in cans, I think you'll love them.

[eleise]

canned sardines
thinly sliced red onion
chopped hard boiled egg
on a saltine

DIVINE!!

I love that you love sardines and I love this blog....

[art]

Can you keep sardines in the ref. after you open them? I can't eat the whole can.
Thanks

[art]

How do you store them after you open the can? Can you keep them in the ref? How long? I can't always eat a whole can at once. Thanks!