SARDINES is a Filipino breakfast staple. We eat it straight from the can or cooked into ginisang sardinas with garlic rice and fried egg. It is a delicious and filling meal that gives us energy to meet the day’s challenges in school or at work—and rightly so because it is full of nutrients such as Iron, Calcium, B vitamins and heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.
As we discover all the good sardines can do for our health, we also begin discovering new ways of serving and enjoying it. Chefs have even elevated it to gourmet status by using it in pasta, sandwiches and appetizers, among others. Just recently, Luxent Hotel’s Executive Chef Kim Dalisay picked up a few cans of King Cup Sardines in Tomato Sauce and King Cup Sardines in Tomato Sauce with Chili, and one of the dishes that Chef Kim whipped up was Herbed Butter Crostini with King Cup Sardines Pâté.
Surprisingly inexpensive and simple to make, Herbed Butter Crostini with King Cup Sardines Pâté uses King Cup Sardines instead of liver. It’s great on toasts and salads, too.
1.5 grams butter
1 can King Cup Sardines, drained
1 gram chopped parsley
1 tsp. fresh thyme
3 grams minced garlic
.05 gram grated lemon zest
French bread, sliced
7 grams butter
black olives, sliced
chopped spring onion
shredded lettuce
1. Pre-heat oven to 425 °F.
2. Melt 1.5 grams butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
3. Add sardines and stir until fish dissolves around 3 minutes.
4. Stir in herbs, garlic and lemon zest.
5. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush top of bread slices with butter. Bake until bread slices are golden and crunchy, around 7 to 10 minutes.
6. Spread sardines pâté on bread slices. Top with sliced black olives, chopped spring onion and lettuce.
