Sardines in churned butter

Sardines in churned butter from Normandy with a hint of lemon.

The cannery recommends runing the tin under hot water to melt the butter before opening, tipping the sardines and butter into a pan and heating gently for two minutes.

Great with pan-fried seasonal vegetables or with roast potatoes.

La belle-iloise was founded in the fishing port of Quiberon 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.