Cured sardines with tomato butter
There’s nothing like a bit of bread after a trip to the beach. Try Sean Gravina’s recipe for this incredible bit of bread with cured sardines and tomato butter.
Cured sardines with tomato butter
Ingredients
- 18 butterflied sardines (about 400gm), pin-boned
- 25g sea salt flakes, plus extra for seasoning
- 125ml (½ cup) white wine vinegar
- ½ bunch dill
- ½ bunch thyme
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 450ml olive oil
- 12 thick ciabatta slices
- Tomato butter
- 500g vine-ripened tomatoes, scored
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 100g softened butter
Method
- Lay sardines in a single layer in a non-reactive dish, scatter with sea salt flakes and set aside to cure (45 mins).
- Add 1 tbsp vinegar to a non-reactive 2-litre container, cover with a lid, swirl to rinse, discard excess. Place remaining vinegar in a small bowl, dip sardines into vinegar (discard remaining) and layer in prepared container, alternating with herb sprigs and orange slices.
- Cover with oil (adding more, if necessary), cover with lid and refrigerate for flavours to develop (3 hours).
- For tomato butter, blanch and refresh tomatoes, peel, remove seeds and coarsely chop.
- Cook in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and deep red (40-50 mins). Season to taste with salt, set aside to cool.
- Dry-roast fennel seeds in a frying pan over low heat until fragrant, shaking pan occasionally (2-3 mins). Pound with a mortar and pestle until fine, set aside.
- Beat butter in an electric mixer until pale (1-2 mins), add fennel and tomato, beat to combine, then spoon onto plastic wrap, roll to form a firm cylinder and refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours).
- Preheat a char-grill over high heat. Grill ciabatta, turning once, until golden (1-2 mins each side).
- Serve with sardines and thick slices of tomato butter.
This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 7 August, 2016.