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I don’t know about you but I don’t eat fish very often anymore, as much as I like it.\u00a0 Sometimes it seems like everything I want is either threatened with extinction, bad for my body or a blow to my budget.<\/p>\n
So it was cause for celebration when I found a great-tasting fish that was easy on my conscience, my health and my bank account.\u00a0\u00a0 Who knew that sardines, those oft-maligned little fish, would be so good?<\/p>\n
I write about the pleasures of sardines today in the San Jose Mercury News (Story now below).\u00a0\u00a0 Although I realize they’re a tough sell in our culture, there’s a reason they’re so popular in Spanish and Italian cuisines. Their deep savor marries well with the bold flavors of garlic, peppers and citrus. Nate Appleman, the hot young chef of San Francisco’s A16, keeps sardines on his menu all the time.\u00a0 He appreciates that they are sustainable and local but he’s hooked on their flavor.<\/p>\n Appleman likes to roast sardines in\u00a0 the restaurant’s wood-fired oven and I included one of his recipes with the story.\u00a0 It’s a simple technique that delivers vivid flavors and appealing textures.<\/p>\n A more basic recipe is this one I found in Teresa Barrenechea’s “The Basque Table” (Harvard Common Press, 1998, 232pp, $16.95).\u00a0 The sardines develop a crisp skin and pleasantly moist flesh as they roast in a hot oven.\u00a0 Minced garlic, parsley and breadcrumbs add nice texture as well as complementary flavors.<\/p>\n Give them a try.\u00a0 Sardines may well be the perfect fish for our times.<\/p>\n 2 pounds sardines, cleaned Preheat oven to 450 degrees.\u00a0 Rinse and dry sardines. Sprinkle with salt.<\/p>\n Pour oil into a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Lay sardines in the dish, turning them once to coat with oil.\u00a0 Scatter garlic, parsley and breadcrumbs over the fish.<\/p>\n Bake about 10 minutes, just until the flesh is cooked through.<\/p>\n Pile salad greens in the center of a platter and arrange sardines around the edge.\u00a0 Serve.<\/p><\/div>\n Added on 12\/11\/2009, after the story disappeared from the Mercury News’ online archives:<\/em><\/p>\n SARDINES: A new school of thought Consider the humble sardine:\u00a0 Low in mercury, high in healthful Omega 3 fatty acids, and abundant once again in the chilly waters of Monterey Bay, it may be the perfect fish for our times.<\/p>\n Sardines are one of the few species that environmentally conscious diners can devour without guilt or serious damage to their budgets.\u00a0 The Monterey Bay Aquarium\u2019s Seafood Watch program gives them the green light as a best choice for sustainability.<\/p>\n The surprise for many Americans is how delightful sardines can be when prepared fresh. If your only experience with sardines has been mushy, oily fillets out of a can, you\u2019re in for a treat.<\/p>\n Fresh sardines, straight off the grill with a squeeze of lemon, are milder than you might expect, with meaty flavor, crisp skin and a delicate texture.\u00a0\u00a0 The high oil content \u2014 the source of all those Omega 3s — gives them a deep savor that holds its own with the bold flavors of garlic, peppers and citrus.<\/p>\n Long a favorite in Mediterranean cuisines, the little silver fish are growing in popularity in Bay Area food circles, where sardines star on the menus of hip restaurants and sell out at farmers markets.<\/p>\n Nate Appleman, this year\u2019s James Beard Rising Star chef, is a big fan, He serves sardines draped atop bruschetta, roasted with green garlic and mint, or tossed with pasta, capers and garlic at his acclaimed San Francisco restaurant, A16.<\/p>\n \u201cSardines are definitely on our menu in some shape or form all the time,\u201d says Appleman, whose restaurant takes its name from a highway that cuts through southern Italy.\u00a0 \u201cI serve it raw.\u00a0 I roast it.\u00a0 I put it in pasta.\u00a0 I chop it up and braise it.\u00a0 I\u2019d say my favorite is just out of the wood oven.\u201d<\/p>\n As much as he loves the full flavor and versatility of sardines, the chef also appreciates the fact that sardines are an environmentally sound product pulled from local waters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re committed to being as sustainable as possible. Sardines are as sustainable as you can get.\u00a0 They\u2019re on the bottom of the food chain,\u201d Appleman says.<\/p>\n Early July is the best time to find fresh sardines, whether at farmers markets or at upscale grocers such as Whole Foods.\u00a0 The next segment of the sardine fishing season begins July 1 and is expected to last only a couple of weeks, according to Diane Pleschner-Steele, executive director of the California Wetfish Producers Assoc.<\/p>\n Sometimes commercial boats get a small proportion of sardines out of season as a by-catch when they\u2019re fishing for mackerel, anchovies or squid, but that availability is not predictable.<\/p>\n When fresh sardines are available, Hans Haveman, of H&H Fresh Fish Co. based in Santa Cruz, says he sells 100 to 150 pounds a week at the 10 farmers markets he works between Monterey and Oakland.<\/p>\n He\u2019s always liked sardines and once he started seeing them in restaurants, he decided to try offering them to his customers.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe just cleaned a bunch,\u201d he says, \u201cand they sold like gangbusters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, I like them with just olive oil on the grill,\u201d Haveman says.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I was doing last year, which is a nice recipe, was roasting tomatoes alongside the sardines.\u201d\u00a0 The roasted tomatoes went into a blender with a little balsamic, good olive oil and salt and pepper to taste to make a bright sauce for the fish.<\/p>\n Fresh sardines aren\u2019t available year-round because the harvest is tightly managed by the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council, which works to forestall a fishery collapse such as the one that finished off Monterey\u2019s formerly thriving cannery industry in the 1950s.\u00a0 Although the sardine population is known to fluctuate naturally, over fishing was suspected as a factor in the disappearance of the fish from the bay at that time.<\/p>\n The season is divided into three segments spaced from January to September and the 60-some sardine boats working the California coast quickly reach their quota, which is set at a total of 66,000 metric tons this year. Most of the harvest is frozen in bulk and sent overseas for canning, feed for aquaculture, or bait for fish higher on the food chain, such as tuna.\u00a0 The slender sardines bring as little as 3 cents a pound on the wholesale market,<\/p>\n Kenneth Coale, director of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, hopes to raise the status of the fishery by making sardines more appealing to the average American.\u00a0\u00a0 The labs recently bought an off-loading facility at the Central Coast fishing harbor to support the local sardine fleet.\u00a0 Now Coale is looking for a way to acquire a filleting machine and package cleaned fillets to be sold to consumers in convenient, frozen form.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem is Americans think of sardines as something that\u2019s oily, stinky and comes from a can,\u201d Coale says.\u00a0 \u201cWhat we\u2019re trying to do is get Americans to think outside the can.\u201d<\/p>\n A solid domestic market could pay fishermen more per pound so they wouldn\u2019t have to catch so many fish to make a profit, he contends.\u00a0 That would take a lot of pressure off a fishery that feeds other marine species and birds as well as humans.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we should stop wasting the gift that\u2019s on our doorstep,\u201d Coale says, \u201cAnd if this makes more sardine eaters out of us, I think that\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n 1 pound sardines, cleaned, heads on Place flour in a shallow plate and season with salt and pepper.\u00a0 Dust sardines, inside and out, with the seasoned flour.<\/p>\n Heat \u00bc cup olive oil in a large skillet and fry sardines along with 1 clove garlic for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden.\u00a0 Remove sardines to a shallow serving casserole.\u00a0 Discard garlic and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.<\/p>\n Add remaining \u00bc cup oil to the skillet.\u00a0 Warm pan over medium heat and saut\u00c3\u00a9 the two remaining garlic cloves until golden brown.\u00a0 Add vinegar, wine, bay leaf, thyme, paprika, orange zest and peppercorns to the pan.\u00a0 Bring mixture to a boil and simmer 3-4 minutes before pouring it over the fish.<\/p>\n Cover fish and refrigerate at least 2 days to allow flavors to develop. Bring to room temperature before serving.<\/p>\n Aleta Watson<\/em><\/p>\n GRILLED SARDINES<\/strong><\/p>\n This may be the best way to cook sardines.\u00a0 It\u2019s certainly the simplest.\u00a0 You could dress the fish up with paprika, capers and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.\u00a0 Just don\u2019t skip the lemon.\u00a0 Its bright, sharp acid cuts through the oil and complements the flavor of the fish.<\/p>\n Serves 4<\/em><\/p>\n 1 pound fresh sardines, cleaned, heads on Place sardines in a single layer in a shallow dish.\u00a0 Mix olive oil and garlic together in a small bowl and pour over the fish. Squeeze the juice of the lemon halves over all. Turn fish over several times to completely coat with the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.<\/p>\n Over a hot fire, quickly grill sardines until the skin is seared and the inner flesh has turned opaque, 3-4 minutes per side.<\/p>\n Serve with lemon quarters.<\/p>\n Aleta Watson<\/em><\/p>\n ROASTED SARDINES WITH BREAD CRUMBS, GREEN GARLIC AND MINT<\/strong> 12 ounces fresh sardines, cleaned Preheat oven to 500 degrees.<\/p>\n Remove heads from sardines.\u00a0 Gently pry open the belly of each fish to expose its backbone.\u00a0 One at a time, place fish, skin side up, on work surface and press firmly with the palm of your hand to loosen the spine.\u00a0 Trim off the back fin and turn fish over.\u00a0 Starting at the head end, remove the backbone by pulling it toward the tail in a single motion.\u00a0 (Part of the tail may come off with the backbone.) Rinse sardine under cold running water, removing any loose bones, and pat dry.\u00a0 Repeat with remaining sardines.<\/p>\n Arrange butterflied sardines on a baking dish, skin side up.\u00a0 Season both sides with salt and brush lightly with olive oil.\u00a0 Roast for about 5 minutes, skin side up, until sardines are cooked through and skin begins to sizzle.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.\u00a0 Add green garlic and saut\u00c3\u00a9 for about 1 minute, until softened.\u00a0 With a slotted spoon, remove green garlic and set aside.\u00a0 Turn heat to medium low, add a couple more tablespoons olive oil to the pan and sprinkle in the breadcrumbs.\u00a0 Saut\u00c3\u00a9 for about 2 minutes, until the breadcrumbs crisp up and darken slightly.\u00a0 Remove pan from heat and stir in the green garlic, capers and mint.\u00a0 Set aside until serving.<\/p>\n Transfer sardines to a serving platter.\u00a0 Squeeze lemon over the top, sprinkle with bread crumb mixture and drizzle with additional olive oil to finish.\u00a0 Serve immediately.<\/p>\n Note:<\/strong> If you can\u2019t find green garlic, substitute green onions.<\/p>\n Adapted from \u201cA16 Food + Wine.\u201d By Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren (Ten-Speed Press, 2008, 278 pp, $35)<\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I don’t know about you but I don’t eat fish very often anymore, as much as I like it.\u00a0 Sometimes it seems like everything I want is either threatened with extinction, bad for my body or a blow to my budget. So it was cause for celebration when I found a great-tasting fish that was … Continue reading Fish for our times<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBAKED SARDINES<\/strong>
\nServes 4<\/em><\/p>\n
\nKosher salt
\n\u00bc cup extra virgin olive oil
\n2 tablepoons minced garlic
\n2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
\n1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
\n4 cups mixed baby salad greens<\/p>\n
\nIt’s healthy, sustainable, flavorful\u2013what’s not to like?
\n<\/strong>(San Jose Mercury News, page 1D, June 24, 2009)<\/strong><\/p>\nSARDINES EN ESCABECHE<\/strong>
\nServes 4<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00bc cup flour
\nSalt and pepper
\n\u00bd cup extra virgin olive oil, divided use
\n3 cloves garlic, divided use
\n\u00bc cup red wine vinegar
\n\u00bd cup dry white wine
\n1 bay leaf
\n1 sprig fresh thyme
\n\u00bc teaspoon smoked paprika
\nWide strip orange zest, 2-3 inches long
\n3 peppercorns<\/p>\n
\n\u00bc cup extra virgin olive oil
\n1 teaspoon minced garlic
\nSalt and freshly ground black pepper
\n2 lemons, 1 halved and 1 cut into quarters<\/p>\n
\nServes 4 as a main course<\/em><\/p>\n
\nKosher salt
\nExtra virgin olive oil
\n4 stalks green garlic, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise
\n\u00bd cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs, toasted
\n1 tablespoon salt-packed capers, soaked in fresh water, drained and minced
\n1\/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, torn by hand
\n\u00bd lemon<\/p>\n