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The French’s love of butter really shows in this sardine pate recipe. The sardines make for a surprising rich, creamy spread that is delightful on baguette slices. If you ever wanted to learn how to make a pate, this is for you.
This French inspired recipe illustrates just how much the French really love their butter. In fact, they have butter shops that sell only handmade butter by artisans who spend their professional lives dedicated to the sweet dairy bliss known as beurre.
Culinary Niches
What an amazing life! Learning and perfecting a culinary trade in a niche corner of the food world, in France. If you have ever been to France then you can get the idea. Crafting with a singular food item, full time, nurturing your creations and feeling the joy experienced when one of your raving fans pops a little sliced baguette with some beurre into their mouths. Butter, bread, cheese, Bresse chickens, wine. All singular niches in the French food world, allowing for craftsmen to perfect their techniques for the betterment of the public.
In Paris, specialty shops are the norm, allowing for an incredible selection of finely crafted culinary creations within walking distance of your home. The shops are relatively close to each other so you could go shopping for all of your items simply by walking down the street. This also encourages people to slow down, take in the scene and people watch.
French Butter
French butter has less water and more butter fat than what we are used to in the U.S. The butter also takes on a distinctive flavor from grass fed cows. The cows live a good life in the French countryside and are treated well. The resulting high-quality dairy they produce is a testament to how much the French revere this agricultural product.
Pate is simply cooked meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. The addition of butter makes this a rich spread, well complemented by a crusty baguette.
The beauty of this is that it can be whipped up in minutes and can be made a head of time. This makes it ideal when you are hosting a dinner party. For another pate recipe, try this classic Chicken Liver Pate that whips up quickly in a food processor after frying it briefly in a skillet.
From this very basic recipe you can create an infinite number of variations such as adding; shallots & garlic, Sriracha & onions, sesame oil & soy sauce, fresh thyme & basil, you get the idea. It also whips up in 3 minutes, bonus! If you ever wanted to learn how to make a pate, this is your recipe. Embrace the challenge and enjoy the rewards. You can also check out my 3 Minute Salmon Pate here:)
This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks,Encyclopedia of World Cookeryfrom 1958. The canned sardines and few ingredients sounded really intriguing so of course, I had to try.
The recipe for the pate is gluten free so if you are so inclined simply substitute the baguette for gluten free crackers or veggies.
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3 Minute French Sardine Pate Recipe
Yield: 2-4 servings
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes
A healthy sardine 3 minute pate. Perfect for a quick lunch or an easy appetizer for a big crowd.
Ingredients
1 can of sardines
1.5 oz butter
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Place first 3 ingredients in a bowl, mash with fork.
Add salt and pepper to taste, be careful on the salt as the sardines and lemon already add a nice balance.
Pate can be used on toasted or fresh bread, as a veggie dip, wrapped in lettuce or as an ingredient in deviled eggs.
And as with all things culinary, the French really do them right. Whether they be grilled then bathed in extra-virgin olive oil before being tinned, or combined with a bit of gentle pepper, or layered with sliced lemon, or just simply put in the tin, they're delicious.
Place sardines in bowl; mash well (bones and all). Add 2 tablespoons of the fromage frais, the horseradish sauce, lemon zest, parsley (if using) and black pepper; mix well.
Sardines, very oily little fish, really love a lot of acid. It is hard to beat fresh lemon juice squeezed over them, but a vinegar — white wine, rice wine or white distilled — is also good. To give you a sense of how much to use, I often douse them in my choice of acid, almost as if I were treating them like escabeche.
You can toss them on straight from the can, fry them up, or grill them. Either way, sardines make a fun pizza topping. Sardines might not be the first type of seafood that comes to mind when you think about fish tacos, but these small, canned fish work surprisingly well in a tortilla.
Canned sardines come packed in water, oil, tomato juice, and other liquids in a tin can. You can eat them right out of the can, top them with onions or peppers, or add condiments such as mustard, mayo, or hot sauce. Usually, the heads have been removed, but you'll be eating the skin and bones.
Sardines play an important role in Portuguese cuisine and culture. Historically a people who depend heavily on the sea for food and commerce, the Portuguese have a predilection for fish in their popular festivities.
Salmon, sardines, tuna, and trout are all high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower the levels of fat in the liver and reduce inflammation. It is also a healthy alternative to meat as it provides protein while giving you the opportunity to avoid consuming the fats and skins from meat or poultry.
Do I have to gut sardines? If you are cooking them whole as in the photo, you do not need to gut them. Just rub off the scales with a cloth or paper towel, then wash and pat dry. If they are not too big, you can eat everything; otherwise, they come off the bone easily once cooked.
10 You can get vitamin D from food, sunlight, or supplementation, though food sources of vitamin D are few. Vitamin D plays a role in immunity, musculoskeletal health, brain health, and potentially cardiovascular health, explains Sarah Schlichter, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist.
If you can't find a brand that has a “No Salt Added” version, look for sardines that are packed in spring water. Then, rinsing the sardines may help to reduce some of the salt content. Just empty the can into a colander and rinse with cold water, shaking it and turning the sardines as you rinse.
Sauté in oil, garlic, onions, and tomato with a bit of lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Gets rid of fishy smell and taste, and eat with a bowl of rice! Make a dip: Mash together sardines, mayo, chopped parsley, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Is it healthy to eat canned sardines every day? Yes, both Shea Rawn and Manaker suggest you can eat canned sardines daily, but there are a few things to consider if you do. Manaker notes that recommended seafood intake is 8 to 12 ounces per week (depending on your age and individual factors).
Is it safe to eat sardines every day? Eating fish like sardines is an important part of a healthy diet, but as with any food, moderation is key. The FDA recommends eating two to three servings of sardines per week.
We love lemon-infused sardines, served on a thick slice of toast for a simple supper. But the possibilities are almost endless. How about adding tinned fish to a dish of parmentier potatoes? Or turning the fish into pâté and serving with delicious French bread or slices of fresh vegetables?
With the Spanish, many enjoy the spicy and stronger sauces, like escabeche, especially with shellfish. What's never debated across the peninsula is how you eat canned fish: on some nice warm Portuguese bread, on top of a salad or for the really good ones, right out of the can. My favorites mirrored the Portuguese.
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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