There are very few meals that wouldn’t benefit from an emerald burst of garlicky salsa verde. Roasted branzino? The egg sandwich that you made while hungover? This acidic, salty green sauce can always step in and save the day if you have a few handfuls of green herbs and a blender. This take—made with parsley, cilantro, capers, and lemon juice—is a particularly cooling complement to oily tinned sardines, especially when they’ve been lightly panfried so they’re warmed through and their skin is slightly crackly.
This recipe was excerpted from 'Tin to Table' by Anna Hezel. Buy the full book on Amazon.
What you’ll need
Capers
$20 At Amazon
Blender
$140 At Amazon
Sardines Packed in Olive Oil
$29 At Amazon
Small Skillet
$60 $54 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
8 minutes
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a blender (or in a jar with an immersion blender), combine the parsley, cilantro, capers, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pulse for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the sauce has the consistency of pesto. You can taste for seasoning at this point, but I usually hold back with the salt because the capers, and the sardines you will be eating with the sauce, pack a salty punch. Pour the salsa verde into a shallow bowl or a rimmed plate.
Step 2
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and pour the oil from the sardines into it. When the oil is hot, about 1 minute, gently place each sardine into the skillet. (I do this by hand in order to keep them intact.) Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, flipping the sardines over gently, until slightly browned. With a spatula or slotted spoon, carefully transfer the sardines to the prepared bed of salsa verde. Eat while warm.
Recipe notes
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