How to Make Spanish Sardines at Home

Homemade Spanish Sardines

Homemade Spanish sardines can be made from scratch at home. Why so, if they are available in the local supermarkets and grocery stores? First and foremost, it is healthier.., as it is a fresh and excellent source of protein. Second, it is fun! Third (and this is for me, mostly): I have an excuse to visit the fish markets!

In recent years, Spanish sardines have been commercially sold in jars in my home country – the Philippines – and most are homemade. I take them to Saudi Arabia – why not? 🙂

While I repeatedly made homemade sardines in tomato sauce, I started making my Spanish sardines a little more than a couple of years ago, following the trend that I noticed. I still patronize those homemade jarred Spanish sardines back home, but the satisfaction of being able to make them successfully from scratch is satisfying.

History of Sardines

According to a Foodicles.com blog, “By the end of the 1800s, Brittany led the world in canned sardine sales. France actually had a monopoly on canned products at the time.”

“But Spain and Portugal soon followed and eventually took over. It has been told that in 1840, the Spaniards discovered a shipwrecked French sailboat off the coast of Galicia. It was loaded with canned sardines. After studying the cans and contents, Spain soon produced its own canned seafood in the region of La Rioja.”

Brief history, isn’t it?

Ingredients in Making Homemade Spanish Sardines

How to Make Spanish-Style Sardines from Home

Homemade Spanish-style sardines can easily be cooked using a pressure cooker or a slow cooker. Both will require medium-low heat and at least an hour cooking time. The recipe below applies to both the use of a pressure cooker and a slow cooker.

Tip: extending the cooking time will make the fish bones soft enough to be eaten. No need to want boneless sardines! They are as good as that.

If you prefer to use a regular cooking pot, make sure that you do not open the lid until after an hour. The continuous heat will ensure that the fish are cooked evenly as pressure cooking does. Tip: when you see that most of the excess water has evaporated, the dish is already perfect! I mean, if the cooking oil already dominates as the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Spanish sardines are served either hot or cold. They can even be served straight from the fridge after a couple of days of cooking. Serve frozen sardines over hot steamed rice where the sardines defrost! Yummy!

I mix an equal amount of fish sauce and fresh lemon juice with sliced fresh red chili pepper on the side. I prefer almost everything spicy. This reminds me, if you prefer spicy sardines, feel free to add your favorite chili or peppers to the layer of ingredients.

This dish is also good with bread or any fried rice.

Filipinos serve them as  “pulutan.” With that, these Spanish sardines are best served with vinegar and minced garlic on the side.

Serving them with minced fresh parsley is another popular option. Do not forget the lemon zest.

How to Store Homemade Spanish Sardines

This dish can be frozen in airtight containers for up to six months.  When you are ready to serve them, just thaw them overnight in the fridge or defrost them in the microwave.

Conclusion

Spanish-style sardines are an easy-to-prepare seafood meal that is packed with flavors and nutrition. Making them from scratch is not just economical but also brings you closer to your roots as it takes you back centuries ago when canned products were first introduced. With just a few ingredients, you can create a delicious dish that is sure to impress your family and friends!

How to Make Spanish Sardines at Home

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• Author: Magida
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
• Category: Main dish
• Method: cooking
• Cuisine: Spanish

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Description

Homemade Spanish sardines you can make at home from scratch with minimal ingredients that are surely already in your pantry. So yummy, you might ditch buying the commercial version. And this is more economical as well.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 kg fresh sardine or mackerel fish, gutted, cleaned and head removed

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 medium-sized carrot, cut into florets or flower shapes

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or dried chilis (optional)

3 bay leaves

8–10 green olives

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

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Instructions

After the fish are gutted and cleaned, drain or dry them using paper towels. Have you removed the heads as well?

Arrange the fish in a single layer in pressure cooker (or slow cooker). Cover the fish with the rest of the ingredients pouring water, olive oil, and lemon juice last. If you have more than a layer, alternative the fish and the aromatics, followed by the oil and juice of lemon.

Cover the pot (cooker), and let boil over medium heat. Then lower to medium-low heat and leave for 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve hot or cold.

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Notes

Note: if you prefer additional olive oil in your cooked sardines, add them during the layering process (than after the sardines are cooked).