Sardines and avocados

This sounds like a really weird combination. It is a pretty weird combination, and I was certainly skeptical the first time I tried it. I've put anchovies in a tomato sauce for pasta before, though, and that was sort of like the entry drug, I guess. Ed and I watch Good Eats occasionally, although without a tv its not a regular occurrence, and we saw one where Alton Brown made an appetizer thing of sardines on mushed-up avocado on toast. It looked really good. I don't know why. Sardines don't normally strike me as something that would taste really good, in fact, they sort of gross me out. They're all fishy and mashed up together in a can and packed in olive oil and they smell kind of fishy. But, we trust Alton Brown, we've liked most of the recipes of his that we've tried.

The first time we tried this, Ed bought anchovies instead, and since those held their shape as little fishies, they were kind of cute - I ate them and I was pleasantly surprised. Since then its been sardines, and they mash up really nicely into a vinaigrette, which makes them taste good. Amazingly enough.

So, after taking that first bite and realizing how good the salty, tangy, slightly fishy, sardines mix with the creamy avocado and crunchy toast, we were both hooked. This is a darn good way to eat sardines. Why should you eat sardines? Meh, there are health reasons, but mostly, this tastes better than just eating straight avocado, as sacrilegious as that sounds. And sardines are cheap. The original recipe calls for sherry vinegar, which we don't have, so we've been using lemon juice. Alton's recipe calls for actually marinating the sardines, which is way too long a process, we tend to make this as an appetizer, so marinating is out. Just mix everything together, put it on the toast, and eat it. Our quicker version of this recipe is below. It may sound weird, but it is totally worth trying.

Toast with sardines and avocados
Serves 4 as an appetizer, 1 as a dinner...

1 can (4.5oz) of sardines, or anchovies, or any other small canned fish, packed in oil
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado
french bread, in slices (~10-15 slices)
cilantro or parsley (optional), chopped super finely

Drain the oil from the sardines into a bowl. Whisk with the juice of the lemon and the salt and pepper and cilantro, and then toss the sardines with the vinaigrette.
They look sort of gross, for sure.


Meanwhile, brush some olive oil on either sides of your slices of bread and toast them in the oven until they're just crispy.

Mash up the avocado roughly with a fork, you can do this in its skin.

Spread it on the bread, I like a thick layer, Ed likes a thinner layer.

Put the sardines on top of the avocado, and enjoy right then and there! Weird, but delicious.