It all started this weekend when my friend Phoebe, who often assists me with my cooking projects was telling my neighbor Mary, who helps me consume my kitchen projects, ” You remember Mary thatspiced fish that she made that was so good?”, and turning to me ” You know it is time you did it again”; hmmm.. I remember, they had helped put the scales (lemon and lime slices) back on that fish; no, I am in no mood for a grand dish like this right before Easter!
A while later, I was surfing French food blogs and I saw some rillettes de sardine, a sort of pâté, with crème fraîche and canned sardines.
… that’s it! I can make a Lebanese version of rillettes, a hummos with sardines, using a simplified version of the spiced fish that Phoebe and Mary and everybody else loved so much. After all, nobody out there seems to have any qualms about reinventing hummos!
INGREDIENTS: 4 to 6 servings
Time required: 20 minutes
- 2 cans of sardines (about 4 ounces each or 250 g total)
- 2/3 cup of tahini
- 4 cloves of garlic, mashed with a dash of salt
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup of water
- a few tablespoons of chopped cilantro (or parsley)
- a few celery sticks to garnish (optional)
- 3 or more pita bread, cut into fish shapes (or triangles for chips); use the scraps for pita croutons, fried or toasted.
METHOD:
- Place the pita cut-outs in the oven at 300F for 15 minutes until toasted and light brown.
- Drain the sardines and pat dry with paper towels.
MAKE THE TAHINI MAYONNAISE:
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan; add the chopped cilantro and mashed garlic. Let the mixture sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice and stir rapidly; you will notice that it will curdle, keep stirring, adding water gradually until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds; taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon juice or water if needed.
MAKE THE SARDINE HUMMOS:
- Place in a food processor the sardines with the tahini mayonnaise.
- Pulse a few times until the mixture is mashed and smooth; taste for seasoning.
- Cut a few celery sticks if using and line them up on a plate.
- Cover the pita cut-outs with the sardine hummos and place on top of the celery sticks, garnishing with a caper or a raisin for the fish eye and a slice of lemon for the scales.
- Serve at room temperature.
NOTE: Pick sardines that are deboned and skinless to save yourself some time, otherwise you will have to debone them and skin them a bit.
You can substitute tuna in oil for the sardines; rinse it thoroughly before using.
43 Comments
This looks like such a fun way to eat sardines! I bet the kids must love it.
I recently had sardines with tahini for the first time ever. I’m not usually a sardine fan, but it was really good! This dish is absolutely lovely!
Oh I’m so happy to have found your blog. I can’t wait to spend time reading it and cooking from it. I LOVE Lebanese food. My brother-in-law is from Beirut and he is a marvelous cook!
Best,
Bonnie
Wow, that looks great! Do you think it would work if I substituted anchovies for the sardines (I have some wonderful jarred sardines I’ve been itchin to use!)
I love sardines……In Colombia it is popular to eat them this time of year (passover). That looks wonderful.
I love sardines and this looks such a fun dish to make! yummy!
such a creative way to cook,looks so good….am sure it was fun making this one…
Those are so cute!
Mimi
What a fun presentation! Great way to jazz up your hummus!
I’d love to try this!
Great idea. This looks sooo good. I love sardines!
Thanks for this beautiful hummus, my kids will definitely love this..cute fish!!
I’ve never had sardine hummus, but that looks and sounds great!
Cheers,
Rosa
Talk about the creativity! These look so cute!
I am a big fan of sardines and anchovies – can I try this with anchovies too?!? Beautiful presentation!
This might be just the thing to get me over my nervousness about trying sardines for the first time. If they’re good enough for my dad, good enough for Alton Brown and good enough for a beautiful dish like this, they must be good enough for me!
Fascinating! I have never heard of a sardine hummos, but I can see how the flavors would work really well together. And, what a fun way to present it!
My kids would love this, especially my oldest who loves sardines and hummous! Lovely presentation throughout this blog and nice creative recipes. I love the interplay of classic recipes and modern interpretation. Keep it up! Ma Salama.
My hubby would love this dish. It is beautiful! What a nice presentation.
I’m in awe of the beautiful fish shapes!! Such a gorgeous presentation!! I’m also always very excited about new versions of hummous…
You must have read my mind the other day, because I was in the store thinking to myself (I really need to start cooking with sardines again) – and now, lo and behold, here is your gorgeous recipe! Thank you!! 
Joumana, I missed the sardines and hummous! Where is the wheat, raisin, nut receipe that I had the other night. I remember Phoebe said it took 10min to make but I didn’t see it under the “quick and easy” section.
mj
Very creative,love the idea of sardines in hummus
You are so creative & what fun to make this tasty fish combination!! I bet involving kids would be such fun to make this tasty flavoured dish!! Oooh,…yes!!!
Very appetizing too!!!
nice and lovely dish! also loved your swees chard cake! tempting
Sardines r my favorite. Your presentation of the dish makes me want to eat some right now!
Thank you for sharing this great recipe; how awesome. In addition, thank you for stopping by my blog and taking the time to post a comment, which was very much appreciated. Have a wonderful day!
Anthony
Looks like a ‘fun’ thing to make. This is on my to make list.
These have to be some of the most gorgeous things I’ve seen in a long time. The photos are beautiful.
Sam
this is very very creative Miss Joumana… I love this idea
way to go my friend
I once thought of myself as a Hummos “purist.” Now, I’m sure I am not!!! I can almost taste the attraction of this blend of ingredients, as I oogle your “eye-catching” fish presentation. Wonderful for Easter or perhaps, Good Friday!
Another post added to my “Someday Soon” recipe file. Thank you so much for sharing, Joumana. Oh how I adore your blog…
These are cute!
These are soo cute. What a fun little bites
how cute..my kids would love these
sweetlife
I’ve never had sardine hummus, but that sounds delicious! I really love your presentation, so cute!
Interesting pate you have made! and great kid friendly presentation! love it joumana!
These are adorable. You are such a creative cook!
J’adore l’idée de la mayonnaise au tahini (c’est mon grand truc, en ce moment, de customiser les mayo et autres aïolis).
Hi Joumana. I “grabbed” this link to include in a post I did today. Hope you don’t mind, I just couldn’t resist:)
Thanks for sharing…
I bet this Hummos is so flavourful with the sardines. Great idea cutting the pita into little fish.
No one does have any qualms about reinventing hummos. Every version under the sun. And isnt it funny they call it hummos when it has no chickpeas in it.
I do like your version. I would love to try it. Maybe as a taste test I will eat some sardines with my humos tonight for dinner.
Did your neighbor/friends like this version?
I usually eat sardines straight out of the can , this is such an intresting way to use them and I love the pita/fish cutouts.
Oooooh, I’m so excited. Shapes out of pita bread. I never would of thought of that. The mind boggles. Oh the different shapes. Thank you so much. I am definitely going to be doing this one!!
I am all over this!!
Thanks and
Welcome to the Society!!
This looks very good. i’ll be trying this out soon.
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