Sardines at Asador Bastian
FOR THE SARDINES
Whole fresh spotted sardines: 8 (cleaned with gills and innards removed)
Ice water: 1.5 gallons
FOR THE SARDINE BRINE
water: 600 g
Sea salt: 125 g
White wine vinegar: 900 g
Garlic cloves: 3 (crushed)
Guindilla peppers or chile de árbol: 3 (dried and sliced)
Lemons: 2 (sliced)
FOR THE SALSA VERDE
Shallot: 1/2 (minced)
Salted capers: 15 g (soaked overnight and drained)
Garlic: 10 g (crushed and minced)
Salt-cured anchovy fillet: 1
Parsley leaves: 45 g
Chives: 15 g (roughly chopped)
Tarragon leaves: 10 g
Lemon juice from half a lemon: 1/2
Spanish olive oil: 50 ml
Grapeseed oil: 50 ml
Espelette pepper: 1 pinch
Juice from piparras peppers: to taste
FOR THE PIMENTÓN OIL
Pimentón: 10 g
Neutral oil: 50 g
Piparras pepper: 1
FOR ASSEMBLY
Cured sardines (see above)
Salsa verde (see above)
Pickled garlic slices: 4
Garlic clove: 1 (thinly sliced)
Espellete pepper
Pimentón oil (see above)
- Start by cleaning the fresh sardines.
- Place them in a bowl with ½ gallon of ice water and remove the scales.
- Use a small pair of scissors to cut out the gills behind the head. Make an incision at the belly and cut to the lower midsection; use your fingers to slide out the stomach and intestines.
- Rinse with water.
- Slip your finger underneath the sardine fillet and run it down the spine to separate the flesh.
- Place the two fillets into the ice water to remove blood.
- Save the sardine bones for another use.
- Bring the water to a boil and add the salt to dissolve.
- Add the lemons, garlic, and chilies and bring back to a boil.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a nonreactive container.
- Stir in the white wine vinegar and chill to 40°F.
- Remove the sardines from the ice water and place into the brine for 24 hours.
- Remove from the brine, rinse in clean cold water, and pat dry with an absorbent towel.
- Place into a plastic or glass container and cover with neutral oil (do not use olive oil, as it will congeal under 40°F).
- Label and date. Sardines are good for 1 month.
- Mince the shallot, rinse the capers, smash the garlic, and cut the anchovy.
- In a food processor, add all of the ingredients except the Spanish olive oil and chives and pulse until incorporated.
- Finish with the Spanish olive oil and chives and pulse briefly to incorporate.
- Reserve and season with sea salt.
- In a small saucepan, warm the oil to 120°F and whisk in the pimentón.
- Keep warm for four hours, whisking every hour.
- Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- After resting, decant and strain into a squeeze bottle.
- Spread the salsa verde on an oval plate, going wide with the spread.
- Place the cured sardines, slightly shingled, over the salsa verde.
- Add the pickled garlic, garnish with espelette pepper, and drizzle pimentón oil around the outside of the salsa verde.
