Sardines & Blue Cheese Spread with Fried Capers Toast
/This is my personal favorite of the Delecticious gourmet toast recipes. I brought some tinned fish back from my recent trip to Portugal. The first tin I’m using is sardines and why not make them the main star in a gourmet toast? These turned out great!
INGREDIENTS, highlights and insights.
Olive Sourdough Bread: A flavorful, sturdy base with a subtle briny note from the olives. Its chew and crisp edges stand up beautifully to rich toppings like blue cheese and sardines, giving the toast structure and depth. I got my bread from Whole Foods.
Butter: A small pat in the pan adds golden color and a warm, savory richness. It helps the bread crisp evenly and creates a toasty foundation that complements the bold flavors layered on top.
Blue Cheese Spread: Creamy, tangy, and full of character. The blue cheese brings a sharp, savory richness that pairs beautifully with the sardines. It acts as a luxurious base layer that ties the whole toast together. Find the Blue Cheese Spread recipe here.
Radish (thinly sliced): Adds a crisp, peppery bite that cuts through the richness. The freshness of the radish keeps the toast balanced and brings a clean, crunchy contrast to the soft fish and creamy spread.
Micro Arugula: A delicate, peppery lift. These tiny greens add freshness and a hint of bitterness that brightens the toast without overwhelming the other flavors.
Sardines in Oil: The star of the dish. Silky, savory, and deeply flavorful, sardines bring umami, richness, and a touch of the sea. The oil they are packed in adds even more depth when drizzled lightly over the toast.
Fried Capers: Little bursts of salty, crispy goodness. Frying them transforms their brininess into something nutty and crunchy, adding texture and a punch of flavor that complements both the blue cheese and the sardines.
Garlic Olive Oil: A drizzle of garlic‑infused olive oil adds warmth and aromatic depth, tying the rich and briny elements together. Alternatively, you can buy it here.
Lemon Zest: Fresh grated lemon zest for a bright subtle finish.
NOW WE’RE COOKING…
FIRST, prepare the fried capers.
You’ll use about 2 tablespoons of capers.
Start by drying the capers with a paper towel.
Heat the olive oil (you can test the oil by dropping in one caper; if it sizzles immediately, it's ready).
Carefully add the capers in small batches to the pan using a slotted spoon.
Fry for a minute or two, until they open up like flower buds, turn golden brown, and become crispy.
Remove the fried capers with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. They will continue to crisp as they cool.
NEXT, toast the bread:
Heat the pad of butter in a skillet on medium. Place the toast in the pan and heat until it turns a nice golden color. Flip, and cook the other side. An enameled cast iron pan works great for this (like this one).
ASSEMBLING, layer the ingredients over the toast:
Slather the blue cheese spread onto the toast, then scatter a little micro-greens over the top. Add a layer of thinly sliced radish, nestle in the sardines, and finish with fried capers and a bright hit of grated lemon peel. These flavors together are simply perfection!
Sardines with Blue Cheese Spread & Fried Capers Gourmet Toast
Having just got back from Portugal, I have some tinned fish I look forward to exploring. The first of which is this sardines toast. It turned out great!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Use cast iron pan set to medium high with a little but of butter to pan-toast the bread on both sides. Wait til the pan is hot and then put the bread in. It should only take a minute or so on each side
- Let the toast cool and then spread the blue cheese dip in a thin layer over toast.
- I used about 5 slices of radish for the next layer on each slice of bread.
- Sprinkle a little micro-arugula over
- Take the sardines out of the cans and set on paper towel. Dab over with a paper towel. A little oily is okay, but I don't want them too oily because we're adding olive oil at the end.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the fried capers over each slice.
- Drizzle the garlic olive oil over.
- Finally, grate fresh lemon zest over.