How To Combat The Strong Flavor Of Sardines With Just One Ingredient

Tinned fish, especially tinned sardines, can be found the world over. From the recorded beginnings of tinned fish in 19th century Europe to its spread across continents via colonialism, tinned sardines are comfortable in millions of home kitchens today. They're the definition of cheap and cheerful, ready to be served as an affordable meal in a snap, adding loads of flavor and nutrients to your diet.

Even with all these plus points going for it, there are a significant number of folks who find it difficult to enjoy fish because it tastes, well, fishy. And sardines, being a type of oily fish, are definitely on the more fishy end of that scale.

So why do some fish smell stronger than others? Here's a little science primer: fish for eating generally fall into two categories, whitefish and oily fish. Whitefish store fat primarily in their liver, while oily fish store fat all over their body. This fat is unsaturated, which makes it less chemically stable and therefore it breaks down easily into compounds that can smell pretty strong. 

You'd think that the last thing you should add to an oily fish would be more fat. However, to balance out sardines' strong flavor, you couldn't be further from the truth.

Acid and astringency are obvious pulls to help counter the fishiness of sardines. But what definitely works in their favor is even more fat! As pointed out by Alison Roman in the New York Times, "Despite their rich, fatty description, sardines also, perhaps counterintuitively, love more fat, which helps mellow out their flavor." This is likely because the added fat helps coat the existing fat compounds on the fish to limit oxygen exposure and prevent oxidation. At the same time, this fat mixture disperses the flavor for a more even taste on the palate. Tinned sardines that are packed in oil already have a jump start on these processes, which makes it a good choice for your pantry.

All this mention of oils and fats may be a little scary, but here's some really good news for you. Unsaturated fat is one of the "good" fats, which, according to the American Heart Association, helps increase the levels of good HDL cholesterol in your body.

There are many enjoyable ways to add tinned sardines to your weekly meal rotation. Look for inspiration from the Mediterranean, or to the different regions of Asia.

The quickest, easiest way to get into sardines is to simply crack open a tin. Most versions available on the market are already packed in oil, which means its flavors are already "pre-mellowed," if you will. You can use whole filets, or mash the filets slightly with a fork and spread on crackers or a thin piece of toast. A squeeze of lemon is optional, though recommended.

To make sardines part of the combination of flavors (rather than the main feature), you can stir the fish into pastas. Preparations like puttanesca usually use anchovies, and some others use mackerel, but they can be easily swapped out for tinned sardines for a more substantial protein hit.

Tinned sardines in Southeast Asia are popularly available packed in an oily tomato sauce. These, or the regular oil-packed sardines, can be added to curries or sambals along with alliums and other aromatics. Serve these dishes with rice or noodles for a moreish, finger-licking meal.