How To Add Canned Sardines To Your Dish Without Making Them Mushy

Sardines are having a moment. Tins decked out with artsy designs are taking over the shelves of specialty food stores. The salty fish show up screen-printed onto trendy tote bags and tea towels. Personally, I've always been suspicious of the little canned fish. I don't know how to incorporate their often overpowering flavor into dishes. I worry that they'll end up mushy. Still, I know many cooks use canned fish as a secret weapon. I'm just behind the times.

Chef Matt Gaudet of Saltie Girl, an upscale seafood spot in Boston, gave The Takeout tips on cooking with sardines. According to Gaudet, there's nothing wrong with a little mushiness. "Sometimes, the point of seasoning a dish is to have those sardines fall apart and meld with your other ingredients," he says. "But, if you want to showcase the [sardines], it is important to either add at the end very delicately, or work with them separately."

Cooking ingredients separately before adding them to the main dish can help prevent unwanted mushiness. It's true of vegetables, and, according to Gaudet, it's true of sardines. "I would have the sardines warming, if this is the desired delivery, separately in a seasoned oil bath," he says. "Quite gently, with a perforated spoon, remove the amount of pieces needed, drain briefly on a paper towel, finish with additional seasonings... then carefully apply to your dish as a final piece."

Sometimes, the goal isn't just a lack of mush. To give your sardines a crispy texture, Matt Gaudet recommends "a gentle coating of rice flour or Wondra and then a quick sear." The goal is "to crisp the outside without overcooking the meats." If you want to go a little farther, Gaudet recommends deep frying the tiny fish. "You could carefully coat [sardines] in a light batter and deep fry as well, giving you a crunchy, salty, briny bite," he says. He adds that a subtle sardine crunch "is great on a toast or a salad or bowl of warm beans, offsetting something creamy as well as herbaceous, or with lettuces."

You might be familiar with the classic salad dressing ratio: one part acid, three parts fat. According to Gaudet, you should add a little acid to sardine dishes, too. After all, many sardines are packed in oil. "Remember to bring an acid to the party to cut through the fat; a squeeze of fresh lemon or a great vinegar will help enhance the entire bite," he says. Ultimately, Gaudet believes that careful consideration is key. "The trick is to work intentionally," he says. Intentionality doesn't necessarily mean you can't take shortcuts, though. An air fryer can give your sardines a satisfying crunch without all the work of deep-frying.