Crumbed Sardine Sandwich

by Josh Niland, featured in The Whole Fish Cookbook

Published by Hardie Grant

Introduction

Who doesn’t love a crumbed fish sandwich on soft white bread? It’s important to fry the sardines in ghee in a pan rather then deep-frying, as the flavour is much better and the degree of cooking is easier to control. Yoghurt tartare sauce could be substituted for a hot sauce or mayonnaise, if you like. This sandwich is so versatile and a number of different fish work perfectly here, including herring, whiting, bream or flathead.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

The Whole Fish Cookbook

Image of Josh Niland's Crumbed Sardine Sandwich — Photo by Rob Palmer

Ingredients

Serves: 2

Metric Cups

150 grams plain flour
4 eggs (lightly whisked)
120 grams white panko breadcrumbs
8 x 60 grams sardines (scaled, gutted and butterflied)
70 grams ghee (clarified butter)
Maldon sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
4 slices soft white bread
100 grams yogurt tartare sauce

For the yogurt tartare sauce

375 grams natural yogurt
3 large French shallots (diced)
1 tablespoon small salted capers (rinsed, dried and finely chopped)
60 grams coarsely chopped cornichons
2 tablespoons finely sliced flatleaf parsley leaves

1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs (lightly whisked)
2 cups white panko breadcrumbs
8 x 2 ounces sardines (scaled, gutted and butterflied)
2½ ounces ghee (clarified butter)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 slices soft white bread
3½ ounces yogurt tartare sauce

For the yogurt tartare sauce

1½ cups natural yogurt
3 large French shallots (diced)
1 tablespoon small salted capers (rinsed, dried and finely chopped)
⅓ cup coarsely chopped cornichons
2 tablespoons finely sliced Italian parsley leaves

Method

Crumbed Sardine Sandwich is a guest recipe by Josh Niland so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Start by flouring, egg washing and crumbing the butterflied sardines, being sure to leave the tails of the fish uncrumbed.
Heat the ghee in a frying pan over a high heat and cook the crumbed sardines, in batches, on one side for 1 minute, or until golden and crisp, then flip to the other side and fry for a further 10–20 seconds. Remove from the pan and season liberally.
Cut the crusts off the bread. Spread some of the sauce over two of the slices of bread from edge to edge, then arrange four sardines on top. Add the remaining sauce on top and then the remaining slices of bread.
Serve with the golden edges of the sardine showing around the edges of the bread and the little tails exposed at one end.

Start by flouring, egg washing and crumbing the butterflied sardines, being sure to leave the tails of the fish uncrumbed.
Heat the ghee in a frying pan over a high heat and cook the crumbed sardines, in batches, on one side for 1 minute, or until golden and crisp, then flip to the other side and fry for a further 10–20 seconds. Remove from the pan and season liberally.
Cut the crusts off the bread. Spread some of the sauce over two of the slices of bread from edge to edge, then arrange four sardines on top. Add the remaining sauce on top and then the remaining slices of bread.
Serve with the golden edges of the sardine showing around the edges of the bread and the little tails exposed at one end.