Okay, so hear me out. I opened a tin of José Gourmet small sardines in olive oil tonight and I swear to god they were creamy. Like, almost indecently creamy. Buttery, silky, the kind of texture that makes you stop and reevaluate your life choices.
Here’s the thing though: it wasn’t just the sardines. It was the side-to-tin ratio. I had them with a cabbage and tomato salad (capers, parsley, olive oil, splash of fish oil and lemon — aaaaaall the umami vibes) and a generous piece of Korean sourdough toast. And suddenly it clicked: the sardines weren’t the heavy main act, they were in harmony with everything else. The acid, the crunch, the chew. Balanced. Perfect. I just died and went to tin heaven…
And listen… my actual, irrational fear in life is that I’ll end up smelling like a cat’s breath and no one will love me. But this plate? This plate was redemption. Sardines don’t have to doom you to lonely, fishy exile. Paired right, they’re glorious.
So now I need to know what’s your sardine epiphany is?!
by Safe-Minimum8844
5 Comments
this looks amazing 🤩 i finally tried sardines for the first time in my life YESTERDAY! i just had them with crackers. but looking through this subreddit and posts like yours make me want to change my eating habits and just have sardine plates with delicious sides that pair well.
don’t worry about the cat breath! i love everything fishy and pungent and have a partner that does not. and he still accepts me :3 so do my two cats!
Mine was to embrace it b/c then I get more attention from my cat.
I know exactly what you mean. For me, it was a tin of small pilchards in olive oil on matzo bread with mayo, hardboiled egg slices, and diced homemade pickles. Perfect balance of taste and texture.
Dude! Or, dudette! The way you write about this glorious food item is literally porn to me! I feel seen!
And, I feel hungry….
I just keep a mini bottle of mouth wash in my purse and a slightly bigger one in my car all the time so I dont worry. I love garlic and all the weird smelly food too much😋