Homemade Oil-Packed Sardines

You often see sardines sold cheaply in quantity. When you do, it is worth making oil-packed sardines and keeping them as a store. Good with sourdough, of course, but also in pasta, or simply grilled. Easy to do at home, so do try it.

What you need:

• Sardines, 10
• Garlic, 1 clove
• Bay leaves, 3 small
• Dried chilli2
• Black peppercorns, 15
• Saltto taste
• White pepperto taste
• Olive oil
• Vegetable oil

1. Cut the heads off with kitchen scissors, open the bellies and remove the insides. Wash them thoroughly under running water. Washing the blood and scales away properly is the important part here.

2. Pat them dry, then season all over with salt and white pepper. Lay the sardines on a rack set over a tray and arrange sliced garlic on top. Leave in the fridge for half a day.

3. Arrange the sardines in a pan and pour in oil until they are just covered. (Olive oil alone feels heavy to me, so I blend it with vegetable oil.) Add the bay, chilli and peppercorns, and set over low heat — think of it as poaching them in cool oil. After about an hour, once the moisture has cooked off, take it off the heat. Leave overnight, then transfer to a storage container and keep in the fridge.