Sardines with Niçoise Olives

Sardines with Nice Olives from la belle-iloise, whole olives in oil

Sardines with Nice olives from la belle-iloise bring together Breton fish and South of French fruit: whole, dark olives from the hinterland of Nice lie alongside the sardines in extra virgin olive oil. The olives retain their pits, just as they are eaten on the Côte d'Azur.

Sardines with Nice olives are a tinned fish product from la belle-iloise in Quiberon, Brittany. In addition to the fish and the extra virgin olive oil, there are whole olives in the flat tin, and because their pits have been left in, it is best to eat them with care.

Salty depth from the olive, fruitiness from the oil

The small, dark olive does not taste of brine, but of itself, because it comes off the tree fully ripened and is then simply salted. Its flesh is both firm and crumbly, providing a salty depth beneath the fish. Added to this is a nutty note not typically found in light, early-harvested olives.

The sardine remains tender and mild, its own fat carries the flavor, and the extra virgin olive oil binds both sides in a shared fruitiness. Salt is the fourth and final ingredient on the label, and this recipe needs nothing more.

Those who prefer this flavor more evenly distributed will find it pureed in the Sardines with Tapenade, where the whole pieces have become a paste. Here, every bite remains a choice between fish and olive. That is precisely the appeal of this recipe.

Sardines on a baguette, in a Salade Niçoise, with rosé

Placed side by side on a crunchy baguette with a glass of cool rosé from Provence, the afternoon has found its direction. Simply place the pits on the edge of your plate.

This tin is right at home in a Salade Niçoise, together with tomato, egg, and green beans, as both protagonists hail from the same region. For a spread, pit the olives beforehand and crush everything roughly with a fork, so the salt distributes evenly over the bread.

Pour the oil directly over warm potatoes, as much of the seasoning is contained within it. If two guests drop by spontaneously in the evening, served with a few radishes and a slice of butter, it makes a complete appetizer.

The small olive from the hinterland of Nice

In the hills above the coast grow trees whose fruits remain small and only take on their brownish-purple color late in the year. Harvesting is done by hand in several passes, as not everything ripens on the same day.

This late harvest explains the mild tone. It also explains why la belle-iloise dispenses with any additional seasoning. In Quiberon, the South meets a fish caught in season off the Breton coast and packed by hand. Two ends of the same country, the cool and the warm, come together at la belle-iloise in a flat tin.

A piece of the South for the pantry

Unopened, the tin will keep for years in the cupboard, waiting for a day when the weather outside is not quite holiday-worthy. It is plenty for two servings as an appetizer when accompanied by some bread. More sardines are on the shelf next to it, and you can find the entire la belle-iloise range in our selection from Quiberon.