Slow-cooked sardine spread with fennel and sun-dried tomato

Slow-cooked sardine spread with fennel and sun-dried tomato

£4.50

A slow-cooked sardine spread with fennel, softened onions, Provençal herbs and sun-dried tomato. The spread is given the evocative name douceur des bastides - the sweetness of Provençal country houses.

Great on toast or served in small glasses as an aperitif or starter, or as a more substantive meal with salad or pasta.

La belle-iloise was founded in the fishing port of Quiberon, Brittany in 1932 by Georges Hilliet, when he was 22 years old. Quiberon was one of France’s key sardine canning hubs, with 14 canneries located there.

Hilliet was a firm believer in quality, artisanal production from the outset and resisted the emergence of mass retailing in the 60s, keeping faith with his own production values. He vowed he’d sooner sell his sardines from a basket on the beach than compromise on quality. The company was eventually re-named la belle-iloise, a tribute to the people of Belle-Ile - the island opposite Quiberon where the sardines are caught.

Today Hilliet’s granddaughter Caroline Hilliet Le Branchu helms the company, continuing her grandfather’s ethos of quality, sustainable production and tinned fish that melds traditional recipes with innovative flair.

The La Belle Iloise spread collection
Slow-cooked sardine spread with lemon, olives and almonds
Slow-cooked sardine spread, Shanghai-style
Slow-cooked sardine spread with fennel and sun-dried tomato
Slow-cooked sardine spread with aubergine, garlic and basil
Sardine and whisky spread

Energy, 981 kJ / 237 kcal
Fat, 18,9g
- of which: Saturates, 3,18g
Carbohydrates, 3,2g
- of which: Sugars, 2,2g
Proteins, 12,3g
Salt, 0,5g

Ingredients: Sardine fillets (39,6%) (fish), extra virgin olive oil, fennel (14,9%), onions (9,3%), lemon juice, tomatoes (2,9%), semi-dried tomatoes (2,8%), browned onions (2,4%), manioc starch, garlic, aromatic plants (0,9%), salt, star anise, spices.

Weight: 80g

Origin: France