Shiny silver sardines from Brittany are renowned in the Breton markets. Swimming against the strong tides of the Quiberon Peninsula, the fish develop a firmer flesh compared to their southern European cousins. As a means of preserving their abundant catches, the Quiberonnaise have a long-standing tradition of cooking these little fish and preserving them under a layer of salted butter. An industry grew out of this and you’ll find many small factories preserving the local product in dinky tins. This kind of preservation en boite tastes best when it’s had at least a couple of days for the flavors to develop. This recipe is quite the opposite: too long in the fridge and you’ll be left with sardine mush on your hands, making it a perfect recipe for those who are impatient.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup cider vinegar
- ⅔ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 2 tsp table salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 juniper berries
- 20 fresh sardine fillets, boned
- 1 small cucumber, sliced into very thin rounds
- 1 small red onion, finely sliced
- 1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
- Buttered rye bread or Caraway and Apple Crackers
- In a medium saucepan, combine both vinegars, the sugar, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, and juniper berries. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- Pour the brine into a shallow, nonmetallic dish. Add the sardine fillets (check for bones), cucumber, onion, and lemon zest. Make sure everything is submerged in the liquid. Cover the dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
- Serve on rye bread with wedges of lemon.
