4 Simple Ways to Cook Sardines to Make It Special

Typhoon season is here once again. You can expect a lot of days when the rains will prevent you from going out to buy stuff to cook at the supermarket. You’ll most probably just settle for what are available in nearby sari-sari or convenience stores. And what do you commonly see there? Yup, you’re correct – sardines and instant noodles.

If you’re unlucky and become a victim of strong typhoons like typhoon Glenda which hit the provinces of Quezon, Batangas, Laguna, Albay, Sorsogon, etc. recently, you will be receiving relief goods which contains the all-time favorite of donors – sardines and noodles.

Eating these kinds of food over and over can really be boring. So here are some tips on how you can make them more exciting. Let me start with sardines in this post.

I’m sure many of you just heat your sardines in the microwave oven. Or if power is out, you just heat it in a pan – sometimes adding onions and garlic. There’s really nothing wrong with this. I even eat sardines straight out of the can. But after two or three meals like that, you will surely get bored. So here are 4 ways to cook sardines to make it special.

Sardines Omelette

Ingredients

• 1 tin of sardines
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ½ clove garlic, minced
• 4 eggs
• Butter
• Salt and pepper

1.      In a bowl, whisk eggs.

2.      Add onion and garlic. (You can sauté it first if you want.)

3.      Open the tin of sardines. Set aside the sauce and mash the sardines.

4.      Add the sardines into the egg mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.      Melt butter in a pan. When it is already hot, pour your mixture.

NOTE: If you have a can of mushrooms or some cheese, you can add them in your omelette. You can even add half a cup of milk if you want.

Crispy Fried Sardines

Ingredients:

• 1 tin of sardines
• 1 egg
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup breadcrumbs or breading mix
• Salt and pepper
• Oil

1.      Open the tin of sardines. Set aside the sauce.

2.      In a bowl, whisk the egg then add the flour.

3.      Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.      Carefully dip the sardines (make sure to keep them whole).

5.      Sprinkle breadcrumbs.

6.      Heat oil in a pan. Fry the coated sardines.

Herbed Sardines

Ingredients

• 1 tin sardines in tomato sauce
• 2 pcs. bay leaves (dried)
• 2 tsp. basil leaves (dried)
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• Chili flakes
• Oil

1.      Open tin of sardines. Separate the sardines from the sauce.

2.      First, fry the sardines. Set it aside.

3.      Sauté onion and garlic.

4.      Pour the sauce in the pan.

5.      Add the bay leaves, basil leaves and chili flakes. Let it stand for a few minutes or until sauce is thick.

6.      Pour over the fried sardines.

Tomato and Basil Sardines

Ingredient

• 1 tin sardines in tomato sauce
• 4 large tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup water
• 2 tsp. basil leaves (in packs) or a few pieces of fresh basil
• 1 white onion, cut into rings
• Salt and pepper

1.      Put chopped tomatoes in a pan. Add water and bring to a boil.

2.      Add basil leaves and sardines sauce. Stir continuously for a couple of minutes.

3.      Add the sardines. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

4.      Top with onion rings.