Sardines. The very word can cause certain stomachs to start turning as if they were drifting upon a life raft in a raging open sea.
I was in the same boat until I decided to give sardines another look a few years ago. As it turns out, they are really not as bad as they sound.
Just a few highlights of this humble little fishy include:
- Nutritional Powerhouses. Sardines are loaded with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals.
- Low Mercury Levels. Because of their lower rank on the food chain, sardines are less susceptible to contaminants than larger fish.
- Sustainable. Sardines have overcome a history of overfishing to become one of the most sustainable species of fish on the planet.
- Inexpensive. It’s hard to find more nutritional bang for your buck than a 2 dollar can of sardines.
- Convenient. A can of sardines will store for years and will be ready to eat at a moment’s notice.
- Tasty. Sardines are as delicious as any other fish. To me, their flavor is very similar to tuna.
I consider Fisherman’s Eggs to be a gateway recipe to the wonderful world of sardines.
Sardines are simply mixed with a tasty array of veggies and aromatics, then baked with a few eggs on top. They flavor is so good you wouldn’t know (or care) that you were noshing on dreaded sardines.
Aside from the sardines, this recipe just involves a few simple ingredients: onion, parsley, garlic, tomato, and eggs.
Start by placing a small cast-iron skillet or baking dish in a cold oven. Set the heat to 350°F.
Meanwhile, drain the sardines and add them to a mixing bowl. Give them a little mash with a fork, then add diced tomato, onion, garlic, Kalamata olives, and parsley. Season with black pepper and mix well.
Remove the skillet from the oven and add in the sardine mixture, spreading it out in an even layer. Return the skillet to the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Take the skillet out again and pour 3-4 cracked eggs on top. Return it to the oven and continue baking until the egg whites are set, about 8-10 minutes.
Allow the skillet to rest for 5 minutes, then serve over some arugula or other green with an optional a dash of hot sauce. Enjoy!
More Sardine Recipes
Fisherman’s Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 (4-ounce) cans sardines in olive oil
- 3/4 cup red onion diced
- 1 Roma tomato seeded and diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Kalamata olives chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 eggs
For Serving
- arugula
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Place a small cast iron skillet or baking dish in a cold oven. Preheat to 350°F.
- Drain the sardines and add them to a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork. Add the onion, parsley, tomato, olives, garlic, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and add in the sardine mixture, spreading it out in an even layer. Return the skillet to the oven an bake for 10 minutes.
- Take the skillet out and carefully crack the eggs on top. Continue to bake until the egg whites have set, about 8-10 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving with arugula and hot sauce.
Nutrition
The ingredient or equipment sections above may contain affiliate links to products that I personally use or recommend!
Nippy Sweetie
Thursday 9th of January 2025
Really delicious and such a great way to eat healthily and frugally but without sacrificing taste or flavour.
marcy
Saturday 19th of August 2023
very easy and delicious, love sardines, thanks for your recipe.
The Sophisticated Caveman
Sunday 20th of August 2023
Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the comment!
New Love for Sardines
Sunday 19th of February 2023
I tried this recipe, this morning.
I had to use some substitutes (yellow onion and chili pepper flakes), only because that's all I had in my house, but it tasted brilliant. I also don't like olives, so I sprinkled some kosher salt.
It was fantastic! I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this dish.
Thank you for sharing :)
The Sophisticated Caveman
Monday 20th of February 2023
Thanks for the comment! Happy to hear that you have a new love for sardines :)
JorDona
Wednesday 11th of January 2023
I throughly enjoyed this for my dinner with some toasted homemade bread, it was missing one thing which I didn’t have on hand, the Arugula and it would have been absolutely delicious, thank you.
The Sophisticated Caveman
Monday 23rd of January 2023
Thanks so much for the comment! Glad you enjoyed!
Hriday
Tuesday 3rd of January 2023
Do I need a skillet that can go into the oven? can I not just use a rectangular baking dish?
The Sophisticated Caveman
Wednesday 4th of January 2023
A baking dish should work fine, I would just spray it with a little oil to prevent things from sticking!