Fast Recipes

Quick-pickled sardines with crushed roast cherry tomatoes

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for quick-pickled sardines with crushed roast cherry tomatoes.

By Alice Storey
  • 30 mins cooking
  • Serves 4
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Quick-pickled sardines with crushed roast cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 8 butterflied sardine fillets (about 100gm each), pin-boned
  • 250 ml (1 cup) white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 2 golden shallots, shaved on a mandolin
  • 800 gm heirloom cherry tomatoes
  • 200 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 thyme sprigs, plus extra leaves to serve
  • 4 thick slices sourdough bread
  • 1 garlic clove, halved
  • To serve: lemon wedges

Method

Main
  • 1
    Preheat oven to 200C. Place sardines in a single layer in a non-reactive container. Bring vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaf and 50ml water to the simmer in a saucepan over high heat, add shallot, then pour over sardines and set aside to pickle (20-25 minutes). Drain sardines (discard liquid), drizzle with 80ml oil, season to taste and set aside.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, scatter tomatoes and thyme in a roasting pan, drizzle with 2 tbsp oil, season to taste and roast until skins blister (15-20 minutes).
  • 3
    Preheat grill to high heat. Drizzle bread with remaining oil and grill, turning once, until golden (2-3 minutes). Rub with cut-side of garlic, top with tomato mixture, sardines and shallot, season to taste, scatter with extra thyme and serve with lemon wedges.