Portuguese sardines in spicy tomato sauce. The seasonally-caught sardines are firm and meaty and the sauce they are packed in is made from high quality Spanish olive oil and Portuguese chilli and tomato,
Recipe tip: add the sardines last thing to a pasta sauce of pancetta, softened onion, carrot and celery, tinned tomatoes and oregano. Find other tinned sardine recipes here.
About Carmelo: Carmelo is a luxe edit of Iberia’s finest tinned fish curated by Patrick Martinez, the founder of The Tinned Fish Market. It must come from marine ecosystems where sea life thrives. It must be fished seasonally, sustainably, and must be prepared by hand. This is the Carmelo manifesto.
More about the sardines:
•The sardines are rich with nutritious oils because they are fished seasonally when the Atlantic waters off the Portuguese coast are warmer and rich in plankton meaning the sardines’ fat content is at its height. The high oil content is why these sardines are firm and delicious and loaded with omega-3 goodness.
•At the cannery, great care is taken to ensure the most is made of these high quality sardines. The cold chain is meticulously maintained to ensure the fish remain catch-fresh.
•The texture is enhanced via an initial brine wash where some salt is absorbed by the fish, improving the flavour as well as the texture. A fair amount of water is then removed during the cooking process which further refines the texture.
