The Best Way To Serve Portuguese Sardines And Highlight Their Distinct Flavor

Canned sardines are becoming a fashionable commodity, thanks to the recent trend favoring tinned fish. Milder and larger than anchovies, sardines are meaty, umami-rich fish that can be the star ingredient to enjoy right out of the can or blended into multi-ingredient pasta dishes or croquettes. Portuguese sardines are a unique variety with a long history as a domestic and international product praised for high-quality taste and nutrition. We interviewed canned fish specialist and chef Charlotte Langley to get some expert advice on the best way to serve Portuguese sardines.

In addition to being president and founder of the brand-building company, Langley Foods, Langley founded Scout Canning, a sustainable canned seafood company. The best serving practices start with "Choosing luscious, rich, and high-quality tinned sardines like Nice Cans [to] ensure[s] that you're getting the best flavor and texture, making any dish truly special," she said.

Canned Portuguese sardines typically come packed in olive oil, but you can also find them in seasoned oils and tomato sauce."Portuguese sardines are incredibly versatile and shine in simple, flavorful dishes," Langley said, noting that she takes a minimalist approach to seasonings and ingredient pairings. "I love serving them on crusty bread with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt for an easy yet elegant snack. They also work beautifully in a fresh salad with greens, tomatoes, and a light vinaigrette, or tossed into pasta with garlic, chili flakes, and olive oil."

Chef Charlotte Langley's suggestions for serving Portuguese sardines offer a diverse array of seasonings and pairings to help the umami-rich flavor of the fish shine. They also overlap with Portugal's culinary traditions. Sardines are so special in part because they have a longstanding and revered place in Portuguese cuisine, so you can count on their centuries-long traditions to be delicious.

In Portugal, canned sardines are popular snacks to enjoy over crusty bread straight out of the can. You can even add a little bit of the canning oil so that the crumb can soak up all that umami-rich fat. Sardines are cooked before they're canned, so the oil is safe to eat.  Also mirroring Langley's suggestions, the Portuguese also use canned sardines to top green salads. Not only are canned sardines a staple in the country, but fresh sardines are equally important. Families commonly host sardinhadas or sardine barbecues, using the same simple seasonings and olive oil in tinned varieties. They serve grilled sardines with salads, roasted local green peppers, and boiled, salted potatoes with additional garnishes like Portugal's famous piri piri chili sauce, and garlic-infused olive oil.

You can use the flavors and accompaniments served at sardinhadas for the canned variety as well. For example, you could toast a thick slice of country bread, rub it with a fresh garlic clove, and brush it with olive oil before adding canned sardines, slivers of canned roasted red peppers, and a finishing drizzle of lemon juice.