Karen recommends using sardine butter on steaks and fish. Or under the skin of a chicken that you are going to roast. She loves this with new-season radishes, which was an entirely new concept to me. I had plenty slathered onto toast when I was on a bread baking spree.
Skip ahead to the recipe for Sardine Butter
Sardines and Pilchards
In South Africa, the sardine run is well known for the abundance of fish caught off the Natal coast. During this time, the shark nets are removed and it is quite a sight to see. Closer to home, we fish pilchards. This is an amazing process which I have had a lot of insight into. Local fishermen head out in boats, and once their quota is caught they head back to the harbour. The catch is carefully weighed and then the fish is sent straight for processing. This could be in the middle of the night, and the local factory works when there is fish! The heads and tails are chopped off, the guts removed and the fish are cleaned. They are then placed into cans with sauce and cooked before being sealed and stamped. Labels go on when they are sold.
The differences
Even though we fish sardines and pilchards here, they are nothing like the ones from the Northern hemisphere. Our fish are not nearly as oily as our waters are warmer. For this recipe, I recommend using the oilier version. These will be about 15 cm in length, and found in flat tins. High in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, sardines are really good for you. If you can get them fresh where you live, the best way to enjoy them is grilled. They are also a good source of Vitamin B12. As a side note, the fact that sardines are low on the food chain means that they are good for the earth! And they are good for us as they are low in contaminants such as mercury which is a growing concern in modern fish consumption.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Sardine Butter ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Sardine Butter
Ingredients
- 125 g salted butter, softened
- 125 g tinned sardines in oil, drained
- ½ lemon, zest only +
- 15 mls lemon juice from the lemon
- 0.625 mls sriracha sauce
- 2 drops Worcestershire sauce
- freshly ground black pepper to season
Method
- Place the butter, sardines, lemon zest and juice, sriracha and Worcestershire sauce into a blender
- Blitz until everything is smooth and season generously with black pepper
- Blitz to combine then place the butter into butter moulds or tip out onto clinngfilm
- If you use clingfilm, shape the butter into a log and seal the ends
- Place the butter moulds or clingfilm into the fridge and allow the butter to firm up before using
See the links below for blog posts I published on April 7:
- 2025: March 2021 Showcasing In My Kitchen
- 2019: The House Next Door
- 2017: Quick Pickled Courgettes
- 2016: Charoset
- 2014: Ice Tea
- 2013: Calculated In Death
- 2012: Food Quiz Number 15 For A Friday
- 2011: Stormsvlei Farm Stall and Restaurant
Yum I am a sardine fan. I think i’ve made this butter or something like it. Delish!
It really is delicious 🙂
Yes, yes, a very definite yes – both for taste and health 100% of the way! Have kind’of ‘mashed’ them together myself but not with a definite recipe used. Like all your ingredients with just one Q > can one’s palate really know when such a tiny amount of chilli and Worcester sauces have been added . . . not being ‘funny’ – really just wondering !
I would have to try without to be able to answer that – but probably not!
Me again. Just wondering how you managed to actually measure out the Worcester and the Sriracha? I guess you would need an eyedropper? Even then a 10th of a teaspoon…
Sherry
For the sriracha I have an 0.625 mls measuring spoon. And our Worcestershire sauce comes with a dropper type inset (which is frustrating when you need more than a few drops!)
Absolutely love sardine! They are so GOOD for our health. I usually get sardines in their own juice and fat. Don’t touch those over processed so called healthy seed oils..they are slow poison. They were invented to grease the machine…
I love sardines just like you do, and my hubby has them for lunch every day 🙂
Love this! Unfortunately I’d be eating it all by myself….
Nothing wrong with that 😉
I haven’t had sardines for a long time. This is such a great way to use them!
Thank you Pam 🙂
Great minds, Tandy – I was just thinking of making sardine butter yesterday! I love how simple and flavourful it sounds.
Let me know what goes into yours!
I have to make this recipe for my husband ; I have never met anyone who loves butter and sardines as much. This is a match made in heaven! ~Nessa
Hope he enjoys it as much as we did 🙂
Clever way to leverage all that umami power! I can see how that would work well for cooking.
The ideal topping for breakfast toast 🙂
I love toast with butter and smoked or pickled sardines, so turning it into a condiment makes sense. Have to try this.
I hope you enjoy this Stefan 🙂
These butters are most interesting, Tandy. I must admit I’ve never tried experimenting like this with butter.
I have a lot of fun making them 🙂