Grilled Tinned Sardines on Toast

Grilled Tinned Sardines on Toast, all the goodness of whole sardines on a budget! A can of sardines, butter, bread plus lemon for perfection!

• Whole sardine goodness. Mashing the sardines ensures the whole sardines, bones and all, are in this delicious sardine topping. Perfect for children and any fussy eaters who might otherwise pick out the calcium-rich little bones.
• Budget friendly. Canned sardines are amongst the cheapest options for fish. Healthy meal, healthy budget.
• Simple and quick. Mash and toast for a flavour-rich grilled sardine feast. As simple as that!

A staple family meal when growing up, Grilled Tinned Sardines on Toast is still one of my favourite quick and easy recipes. I like to grill the sardine paté almost to the point of charring, to get those amazing intensified, caramelised flavours of grilled fish.

I love to squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over the toasted sardines. That charred, grilled taste is magically transformed to a deeper flavour and the sharp sweetness of the lemon balances the richness of the fish. Sublime!

These Sardine Toasts are great as a light meal, easy finger food snacks for the children or cut into small squares to make canapés.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make mashed Sardines on Toast
• Top Tips for Great Sardines on Toast
• Are Sardines good for you?
• Sardines v Pilchards. What's the difference?
• Serving ideas
• Can you make ahead?
• FAQ
• 📋 Recipe Card

Ingredients

• Tinned sardines. Sardines in olive oil, sunflower oil, brine, tomato sauce... There's a lot of choice out there. Choose your favourite. I used to always go for sardines in tomato sauce, but now just add some tomato puree (paste) when using sardines in oil or brine. If using sardines in oil, you may need to adjust the butter and add slightly less. I also tend to use the cheapest sardines out there, keeping the more expensive quality sardines for eating as is straight from the can.
• Butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter, particularly if using tinned sardines in salty brine. I can then add salt as needed once the sardines, butter and, if using, the tomato puree (paste) have been mashed together.
• Tomato puree (paste). Not needed if using sardines in tomato sauce
• Salt and black pepper.
• Bread for toasting. Any bread that toasts well. In the top picture I have used sourdough bread to make finger toasts, but I love it with sandwich bread as well.

How to make mashed Sardines on Toast

A couple of tips before you start this simple dish. It's easiest to mash the butter into the sardines if it is beautifully soft.

A quick way to soften rock hard butter is to cut the butter into chunks and put these in warm (not hot) water for a few minutes. When the butter is softened, drain off all the water before adding the drained butter to the drained sardines.

Alternatively, the method I use mostly is to cut the hard butter into small pieces and mash these into the sardines.

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1. Drain sardines. Remove the sardines from the tin, and drain off excess sauce or oil. Place the sardines, butter and, if using, tomato puree (paste), in a bowl.

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2. Mash sardines. Mash the sardines and other ingredients in the bowl thoroughly together using a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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3. Toast the bread. Toast the slices of bread on one side under a grill until golden brown. Butter the untoasted side.

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4. Spread sardine paste. Divide the sardine mixture between the toasts. Using a fork, spread the sardine mixture onto the buttered side of each piece of toasted bread.

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5. Grill the sardines. Grill the sardine mixture side of the toast until gently browned.

Top Tips for Great Sardines on Toast

• Butter the toast well. After toasting one side of the bread, make sure to butter the untoasted side before putting the sardine mixture on. This will help draw the buttery sauce from the sardine mixture into the toast, richly flavouring the bread.
• Ridges in the sardine mash. Make a ridged pattern in the sardine mixture using a fork. Toast the sardine mixture until the tops of those ridges are nicely browned to get maximum flavour.
• Lemon juice. Squeeze a little lemon juice onto the toasted sardines. Delicious!
• Tomato paste. If using tinned sardines that are not in tomato sauce, don't forget to add the tomato paste. The tomato adds a little sweetness and really helps to balance the oiliness of the fish.

Are Sardines good for you?

Sardines belong to that group of fish classed as "oily fish". Oily fish, as well as being a good source of vitamin D are high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which the NHS advises may help to prevent heart disease.

According to the NHS website tinned sardines are among a small group of fish whose bones we can eat easily. This means that tinned sardines also provide calcium and phosphorous which, according to the NHS website, are good for keeping bones strong. An article asking the opposite question "Are Canned Sardines Bad for You?" gives even more detail of all the many benefits you may get from eating canned or tinned sardines.

Sardines v Pilchards. What's the difference?

So what's the difference between sardines and pilchards? Well, not a lot it turns out. Pilchards and sardines are one and the same fish, with its Latin name, Sardina pilchardus, including both of the common names for this fish.

In fact, Cornish pilchards were re-branded as Cornish Sardines as pilchards were perceived as being less attractive to eat than sardines. Apparently, sardines conjure up pictures of the Mediterranean and delicious grilled fish, whereas pilchards are associated with not so attractive canned food.

Although the same fish, there are differences between canned sardines and canned pilchards.

1. Size. Traditionally, pilchards are fish that have grown to more than 6in long. Sardines are fish that are smaller than 6in. Although, this size difference is not so apparent when comparing actual canned pilchards and sardines, as can be seen in the photograph below. Pilchards on the left, sardines on the right.
2. Preserving sauce or marinade. I think that much of the difference in taste between pilchards and sardine is due to the difference between brands and their marinades.

The difference in appearance between the pilchards and sardines in the photo below is down to the marinade they have been canned in and the tin size. The sardines (on the right) have been tightly packed in olive oil to give glistening ram-rod straight little fish. Whereas the pilchards (on the left) have been canned in brine in a larger tin.

Serving ideas

• Serve with tomatoes. When tomatoes are in season, I like to serve the Tinned Sardines on Toast with a few slices of fresh tomato sprinkled with just a little salt. Otherwise, a simple tomato salad such as this French Tomato Salad.
• Sandwich filling. Use the sardine mixture as a sandwich filling.

Can you make ahead?

The tinned sardine mixture can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The mixture may solidify in the fridge. If it is fairly solid when using again, just put small spoonfuls of the solidified mixture onto the toast and grill very briefly (not even a minute) to soften the butter. Then spread the softened mixture on top of the toast evenly with a fork before grilling again.

FAQ

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