Vintage Sardines with Sea Fennel

Vintage Sardines with Rock Samphire and Olive Oil

La Quiberonnaise vintage sardines with rock samphire are Breton Atlantic sardines in olive oil with crunchy rock samphire, Millésime 2025 Olive et Casse-Pierres. Tender sardine meat meets salty, green coastal vegetables. The ocean, with a crunch.

Vintage sardines with rock samphire are premium Atlantic sardines from the Conserverie La Quiberonnaise, preserved in extra virgin olive oil with crunchy rock samphire, Millésime 2025 Olive et Casse-Pierres. "Casse-Pierres" literally means "stone breaker," as this salty coastal vegetable grows in the rock crevices of the Breton coast. A refined, unusual companion for the sardine. Rock samphire is well-known in fine dining; here, it comes simply in a tin.

When you open the tin, it smells of salt, herbs, and the sea. You can see the green pieces of samphire lying between the silvery sardines—a lovely sight right from the start. On the fork, the sardine is succulent yet firm, the olive oil is smooth, and then the rock samphire chimes in with its green crunch and fine saltiness. The first bite is tender, then the samphire makes its presence known. A beautiful interplay of soft and crunchy.

Tender meets crunchy, straight from the sea

The rock samphire brings a bite and a fresh, salty note to the tin.

Where the sardine is soft and oily, the rock samphire provides a crunchy, almost cucumber-like salty counterpoint. This coastal vegetable has a long history in Brittany; it was once pickled and kept as a durable supply on fishing boats. Over the maturation period, both combine into a rounded whole without losing their freshness. Those who enjoy maritime notes will also find them in the sardines with seaweed from the same producer.

Fresh on bread or in a salad

These sardines are so distinct that they prefer to stand on their own.

A piece of toasted bread and a squeeze of lemon are enough to let both the fish and the rock samphire shine. They are just as lovely in a salad with new potatoes, eggs, and herbs, in a light pasta dish, or as part of a seafood platter with other tinned products, such as the classic red tin with olive oil. If you like, sear them briefly in a pan; the oil will caramelize slightly, making the rock samphire even more aromatic. A glass of dry white wine is a must in any case.

The mermaid from Quiberon since 1921

The tin features a mermaid, one of three sirens of the Conserverie, drawn by cartoonist Stanislas Barthélémy. Simple, clear, with a wink. Each of the three sirens tells a little sea story—here, the one about the mermaid in the kelp.

Since 1921, fish have been caught and processed by hand at La Quiberonnaise in the fishing port of Quiberon. The cannery was founded by Henriette Jourdan; today, her grandchildren Bernard and Thierry run the house in the third generation. The fish enters the tin within 48 hours of being caught and matures in the oil like a fine wine—hence the "Millésime" on every tin. In 2015, the company received the "Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant" label for its living craftsmanship. You can find the rock samphire variety here alongside many other fish preserves from La Quiberonnaise.

The fine oil from the tin comes along

Stored in a cool, dark place and turned over every six months, the 115-gram tin distributes the oil evenly over the fish. Serve them at room temperature; that is when the fish and rock samphire stand out best. The fine oil from the tin goes well over a salad or steamed fish, so don't throw it away. This tin is ideal for aging; over the years, the sardine meat only becomes more refined.