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Canned sardines. I’ve always been fond of these little fishy nutrient power houses, as I grew up eating canned sardines in tomato sauce. My mother would cook them once in a while with some sliced red chilli peppers and chopped onions. A squeeze of lime over the top and it was so comforting over hot and fluffy white rice. Good memories of childhood (and nightshades)! I’ve since moved on to the AIP-friendly olive oil, water, or brine-packed variety, and love them! There are so many ways of preparing these Omega-3 rich fishes, here’s a recipe that I developed incorporating canned sardines and cod liver.
That’s right, canned cod liver. If your only memory of cod liver is cod liver emulsion, let me assure you that this is far more appetizing! They can usually be found at canned fish sections of Russian or international supermarkets. If not, you can get them here. The cod livers are buttery and creamy morsels packed in their own oil, and don’t taste any stronger than canned tuna. They are another rich source of Omega-3.
Cutlets are usually breaded and fried, just like fish cakes. I made the breading AIP-compliant by coating the cutlets in gluten-free water chestnut flour or sweet potato starch, which can usually be found at Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find these flours/ starches, you could try coating them in cassava or coconut flour instead. These flours can be bought here. These cutlets require a gentle hand when shaping and cooking, as there is no egg to bind the ingredients together. Served freshly cooked, they are lightly crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, and absolutely delicious with a salad of fresh greens.
Have you tried canned sardines or cod liver? What is your favourite way of preparing them?
- (95g or ¾ cup) 1 small white sweet potato, peeled and diced
- (195g or 1.5 cups) 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
- ½ tbsp or 1 large garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
- (70g) 1 can Portuguese sardine fillets in water, well drained
- (115g) 1 can cod fish livers in cod liver oil, well drained
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 tsp capers, drained and finely chopped
- 1 green onion or 3 garlic scapes, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cassava flour
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup water chestnut flour or sweet potato starch, for coating
- ¼ cup avocado oil for frying
- Steam the sweet potato, parsnips and garlic for approximately 9 minutes, or until tender
- Mash to yield 1 cup (265g) of mashed vegetables
- Spread on a plate to 1 inch thickness and leave to chill in the freezer for about 15 minutes while prepping the rest of the ingredients
- Empty the drained cans of sardines and liver into a large bowl
- Sprinkle the lemon zest over the sardines and liver, then mash with a fork
- Add in the mashed vegetables, chopped capers, green onion or garlic scapes, cassava flour and sea salt
- Stir to combine
- Form into small palm-sized cutlets and coat gently with water chestnut flour or sweet potato starch
- Chill for about 30 minutes (preferable, to maintain the shape while frying)
- Add the avocado oil into a frying pan and heat over medium heat
- Once hot, shallow-fry the cutlets for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through, flipping once
- Drain over kitchen paper towels and serve
Hi Dora! Do you think you could use two cans of sardines and not the cod livers? These look so great, and I’m going to share with my readers today. 🙂 xo
Hi Amanda! I should think so, just less rich! The cod livers lend a really creamy ‘oomph’ to the cutlets.