Summary of "How to Use Canned Sardines — From a Michelin Star Chef! | CHOW-TO"

How to Use Canned Sardines — From a Michelin Star Chef (CHOW-TO)

Presenter / sources - Chef George Mendes (at his Michelin‑star restaurant). - CHOW-TO / Chowhound video. - Poros (recommended tin; est. 1912).

Overview

A simple, elevated salad that pairs charred, marinated red peppers with canned sardines, romaine and parsley. The peppers are roasted or grilled until blackened, peeled, and marinated in olive oil and sherry vinegar so their flavors marry with the sardines. The dish is intended as a light, healthy lunch or an impressive starter.

Ingredients

Canned sardines (in tin, oil or brine) — quantity as desired (video uses one tin or several fillets). Poros brand recommended.
Red bell peppers (charred) — amount to taste.
Olive oil — about 2–3 tablespoons for marinating/dressing, plus extra for tossing peppers before roasting.
Sherry vinegar — to taste (chef’s vinegar of choice).
Smoked paprika — a sprinkle (optional).
Sea salt or kosher salt — to season peppers and salad.
Romaine hearts — for the salad base.
Fresh parsley leaves — whole leaves.
Freshly ground white pepper — to taste.

Equipment & prep

Grill or charcoal for direct charring (preferred) OR oven (about 450°F / 230°C) and a half‑sheet/cookie sheet.
Large mixing/serving bowl (to trap steam after charring the peppers).
Spoon, the back of a knife, or hands (for scraping/peeling pepper skins).
Cutting board and knife.
Tin opener; plastic wrap for storage.

Method — step‑by‑step

Char the peppers
- Over coals/charcoal on a grill until skins are blackened all over.
- OR oven method: preheat to ~450°F (230°C); toss whole peppers with olive oil and generous sea/kosher salt on a baking sheet; roast, turning every 5–10 minutes, until skins are blackened and blistered.
Steam and peel
- Immediately transfer charred peppers into a bowl and let them steam (covered or just sitting). This finishes cooking and loosens the charred skin.
- When cool enough, scrape/peel off the skins with a spoon, the back of a knife, or by hand. Remove stems and open peppers flat.
- Remove veins and seeds for a more refined texture if desired (seeds are edible but have extra peppery crunch).
- Preserve some of the black char for flavor — don’t remove every bit.
Cut peppers
- Slice peeled peppers into strips, roughly mimicking sardine fillets.
Marinate / marry peppers with sardines
- Toss pepper strips with ~2–3 tablespoons olive oil, sherry vinegar (to taste), a sprinkle of sea salt and smoked paprika.
- Allow to sit so flavors marry. This can be done up to 1–2 days ahead to “pickle” the peppers and deepen the flavor.
Prepare greens and herbs
- Cut Romaine hearts into triangular pieces or your preferred shape.
- Use whole parsley leaves for freshness.
Prepare sardines
- Open the tin and either leave fillets whole or remove them from the bone (bones become brittle in the brine and are edible).
- Place sardines into the dressing/mixture if assembling ahead.
- Keep the oil/juices from the tin and the juices released from the cut peppers — they are part of the dressing and should not be discarded.
Season and dress
- Add extra olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Mix pepper strips, romaine, parsley and sardines so everything is coated with the dressing.
Assemble the plate
- Layer a base of the marinated bell pepper strips, then top with the romaine + sardine mixture.
- Finish with a few whole sardine fillets on top as the “star” garnish.
- Serve as a light, healthy salad or lunch.

Storage guidance

To preserve leftover sardines: keep them in their original tin and wrap tightly with plastic wrap — do not remove them from the brine and expose them to oxygen.
If plating sardines, return any unused pieces to the brine/tin for best preservation.

Note: the bones in canned sardines become brittle in the brine and are eatable. Removing them can make the plate look cleaner if you prefer.

Chef tips, technique cues, and common pitfalls

Steam peppers after charring to loosen skins — makes peeling much easier.
Don’t strip off every bit of char — the remaining blackened flavor adds a desirable smoky note.
Save and use the juices from the peppers and from the sardine tin — they carry a lot of flavor for the dressing.
Oven roasting at 450°F (230°C), turning every 5–10 minutes, is an effective alternative to grilling.
Seeds are edible but removing them refines texture.
Marinating the peppers with olive oil and vinegar up to 1–2 days ahead intensifies the flavor integration with sardines.

Plating / serving suggestions

Build the salad with a base layer of marinated peppers, then pile romaine + parsley + sardines in the center, finishing with visible sardine fillets on top.
Serve as a light, healthy, elevated salad — good for lunch or to impress guests.