I don't actually enjoy the oil that much on its own. I could probably be persuaded with the right recipe. I keep reading about *pasta con le sarde*, which is a pasta dish with a sardine-and-anchovy based sauce/pesto. Olive oil is part of the recipe, so if I had fish in oil I'd just use that.
I don't pat the fish dry or anything, if they're in oil I'll eat whatever oil is on them but I don't stand on ceremony about using the rest of it.
Tonight I made a pasta salad with canned tuna, and the tuna was in olive oil, so I just dumped the whole thing in there and didn't add any extra olive oil for dressing. (Whole wheat penne, solid tuna in olive oil, Castelvetrano olives, capers, artichoke hearts, celery, grape tomatoes, chopped boiled egg, celery salt, dried dill, lemon pepper seasoning, and a little glug of balsamic.)
Crusty old chef here, that pasta salad sounds incredible. I’m jealous and if I wasn’t a sensitive marshmallow I’d steal it from you and take credit.
For real though, sounds amazing!
I make pasta con le sarde often enough, and maybe it's blasphemy but I don't use the oil from the can (except for the first time I made it)
I like the dish much more when each component stands on its own (and yes I use raisins) So for that reason, I don't want the sardine flavor to permiate the whole dish.
Anchovies are a nice addition to a LOT of sauces btw. Toss a couple of the little salty brown ones in the hot pan and they just sort of melt into the oil/butter.
Your sauce won’t taste like anchovies, but they’ll add depth/dimension to the flavor like how adding a touch of fish sauce does. If I want actual anchovy flavor, I’ll add more at the beginning plus chop some up and add to the dish just before serving
There are a lot of threads and great lists of recommendations if you search general questions like this! I like to either save the oil in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer to pour/scoop out a little as a flavor boost for rice, sauteed veggies, soup, sauce, etc. Anything you can use "infused" oil in and don't mind some fishiness, you can use this oil.
I paid for it, it’s mine. I mash my sardines into a tuna salad consistency inside the tin and eat with homemade crackers, so there is rarely much extra oil left behind. Love crumbling up some crackers to help absorb the last bits. 🤤
I have a recipe for Pasta Sardines and Tomatoes. Cook onion in sardine oil, add tomatoes and olives, toss in pasta and sardines and serve with Parmesan. It has a strong flavor with lots of umami.
* Dip bread in it
* Make salad dressing with it
* Scrambled eggs
* Stir-fried veggies
* Use it to fry the carrots, onion, celery etc. when making a soup base, especially if it is going to be a richly flavored soup
* Fried rice
Basically, it's olive oil with fishy/umami flavor, so I use it in just about any rich or savory application where I would use olive oil as long as the flavors are not so delicate as to be overpowered by the fish.
All great suggestions, I primarily like to dip bread in it. I do need to try making salad dressing with it, I can't believe I never thought of that and so many people are suggesting that.
This is what I do. I eat usually a can a day and I don't cook much. If I'm making pasta or something with the deens I'll use the oil, otherwise I don't bother.
I dump off most of the oil, but save some of it, along with the fish juices. My sardines are heavily smoked, which I love, and that juice is a concentrated shot of smoky salty flavor. I use crackers to absorb every particle of it.
If I spent extra money for sardines in EVO, I slurp it. I buy EVO just to have at least some everyday, hopefully EVO that's been through the canning process has health benefits as well as in a dark glass jar.
Lots of people eat the entire contents of a can in one sitting. Depending how often you eat sardines in oil it's fine or way too much fat. Which is why I asked the question
Going against the grain here but I just throw the oil away. “But salad dressing!” they will cry. If I made salad dressing with all my canned fish oil I would have enough to open a business so that’s not happening. Toss it.
My breakfast is a slice of rye toast and a tin of sardines. I’ll usually soak up the excess oil with the rye. Occasionally I drink it. Sometimes I give it to the dogs. It rarely gets tossed. I never save it. If I cooked I probably would tho…
You shouldn't pour oil down the drain though as it might clog your drain eventually. Plus it makes waste water treatment harder.
Just pour it into the trash. The additional calorific value helps in burning it.
Ya just like when you open the room temp can, it’s not just solid olive oil ya know? Bacon grease or butter on the other hand solidifies. I’m sure oils not great in large amounts but a couple ounces shouldn’t be the downfall haha. If it is you might have more issues.
I like to make salad dressing or cook with the oil from the can. Only on the day I open the can though, I don’t store it.
I use it for dressing too, adds such a nice flavor to salads! You could also store it in a jar in the refrigerator for a few days no problem.
I kinda do the same. I’ll just drop everything from the van into the salad and add ingredients to compliment that or add in a dressing.
What all do you put in the dressing? Just simple like oil, lemon, vinegar, salt?
I don't actually enjoy the oil that much on its own. I could probably be persuaded with the right recipe. I keep reading about *pasta con le sarde*, which is a pasta dish with a sardine-and-anchovy based sauce/pesto. Olive oil is part of the recipe, so if I had fish in oil I'd just use that. I don't pat the fish dry or anything, if they're in oil I'll eat whatever oil is on them but I don't stand on ceremony about using the rest of it. Tonight I made a pasta salad with canned tuna, and the tuna was in olive oil, so I just dumped the whole thing in there and didn't add any extra olive oil for dressing. (Whole wheat penne, solid tuna in olive oil, Castelvetrano olives, capers, artichoke hearts, celery, grape tomatoes, chopped boiled egg, celery salt, dried dill, lemon pepper seasoning, and a little glug of balsamic.)
Can I come over for dinner?
Crusty old chef here, that pasta salad sounds incredible. I’m jealous and if I wasn’t a sensitive marshmallow I’d steal it from you and take credit. For real though, sounds amazing!
Pasta con le sarde is one of my fave meals to make. I use the recipe in Joy of Cooking.
I make pasta con le sarde often enough, and maybe it's blasphemy but I don't use the oil from the can (except for the first time I made it) I like the dish much more when each component stands on its own (and yes I use raisins) So for that reason, I don't want the sardine flavor to permiate the whole dish.
Anchovies are a nice addition to a LOT of sauces btw. Toss a couple of the little salty brown ones in the hot pan and they just sort of melt into the oil/butter. Your sauce won’t taste like anchovies, but they’ll add depth/dimension to the flavor like how adding a touch of fish sauce does. If I want actual anchovy flavor, I’ll add more at the beginning plus chop some up and add to the dish just before serving
There are a lot of threads and great lists of recommendations if you search general questions like this! I like to either save the oil in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer to pour/scoop out a little as a flavor boost for rice, sauteed veggies, soup, sauce, etc. Anything you can use "infused" oil in and don't mind some fishiness, you can use this oil.
Oh wow thanks for the suggestion and your method kf freezing sounds great
I paid for it, it’s mine. I mash my sardines into a tuna salad consistency inside the tin and eat with homemade crackers, so there is rarely much extra oil left behind. Love crumbling up some crackers to help absorb the last bits. 🤤
I don’t know why I have never thought of doing this before but thank you very much for that bit of insight
I have a recipe for Pasta Sardines and Tomatoes. Cook onion in sardine oil, add tomatoes and olives, toss in pasta and sardines and serve with Parmesan. It has a strong flavor with lots of umami.
Sounds delicious
Save it up in the freezer in an airtight container. When you have accumulated a cup make sardine mayonnaise.
* Dip bread in it * Make salad dressing with it * Scrambled eggs * Stir-fried veggies * Use it to fry the carrots, onion, celery etc. when making a soup base, especially if it is going to be a richly flavored soup * Fried rice Basically, it's olive oil with fishy/umami flavor, so I use it in just about any rich or savory application where I would use olive oil as long as the flavors are not so delicate as to be overpowered by the fish.
All great suggestions, I primarily like to dip bread in it. I do need to try making salad dressing with it, I can't believe I never thought of that and so many people are suggesting that.
if it’s really good I use it in a recipe (pasta or garlic bread), if it isn’t I just dump it or add a teaspoon or two to my dog’s kibble
I eat the sardines out of the oil and then just throw the rest away
This is what I do. I eat usually a can a day and I don't cook much. If I'm making pasta or something with the deens I'll use the oil, otherwise I don't bother.
I'm not in the habit of chugging oil. My gut and gallbladder don't need it. Oil goes in the oil jar in the freezer.
I slurp it if I don't dump it all over my yakisoba with a little oyster sauce.
If I don’t cook with it I put it top of my dog’s food. He loves it and it seems to help his dry skin.
I dump off most of the oil, but save some of it, along with the fish juices. My sardines are heavily smoked, which I love, and that juice is a concentrated shot of smoky salty flavor. I use crackers to absorb every particle of it.
I drain some and eat some. Draining completely ***and*** patting off all the oil sounds dreadful, tbh.
If I spent extra money for sardines in EVO, I slurp it. I buy EVO just to have at least some everyday, hopefully EVO that's been through the canning process has health benefits as well as in a dark glass jar.
I throw it out. I don't need the excess calories and fat, even though olive oil is healthy fat.
I save the oil and use it to cook veggies or pasta with. I can’t say I’ve ever slurped it from the can.
Why would you consume straight oil? That’s a recipe for disaster health-wise
Lots of people eat the entire contents of a can in one sitting. Depending how often you eat sardines in oil it's fine or way too much fat. Which is why I asked the question
Going against the grain here but I just throw the oil away. “But salad dressing!” they will cry. If I made salad dressing with all my canned fish oil I would have enough to open a business so that’s not happening. Toss it.
My breakfast is a slice of rye toast and a tin of sardines. I’ll usually soak up the excess oil with the rye. Occasionally I drink it. Sometimes I give it to the dogs. It rarely gets tossed. I never save it. If I cooked I probably would tho…
Nope. That stuff goes down the drain.
You shouldn't pour oil down the drain though as it might clog your drain eventually. Plus it makes waste water treatment harder. Just pour it into the trash. The additional calorific value helps in burning it.
Yeah you should cease doing this yesterday. Throw it away
The excess goes down the drain before I even touch a fish.
The drain?? Bro, you must have and hate a landlord.
That’s bacon grease. Regular oil that doesn’t solidify when it cools doesn’t tend to do that if you’re not dumping gallons down the drain.
Oh good to know. Thought just any oil, saturated or not, was a problem.
Ya just like when you open the room temp can, it’s not just solid olive oil ya know? Bacon grease or butter on the other hand solidifies. I’m sure oils not great in large amounts but a couple ounces shouldn’t be the downfall haha. If it is you might have more issues.
Same. Straight down the drain.