Sardine cream with tomato and capers

Sardine cream with tomato and capers by la belle-iloise, salty and refined

Sardine cream with tomato and capers by la belle-iloise, Sardinade aux Tomates & Câpres, is a fish spread made from sardine fillets, capers, and tomato. The capers provide sharp, salty accents within the mild mixture, while the tomato ties everything together with a fruity note.

Sardine cream with tomato and capers is a spreadable fish cream from la belle-iloise in Quiberon, Brittany. In the 60-gram tin, sardine fillets, extra virgin olive oil, capers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and egg yolk are blended into a spread.

Salty accents in a smooth base

The capers are what distinguish this cream from a plain fish paste, as they are not pureed but left whole. When bitten, they release a concentrated saltiness that flashes briefly and then fades away.

In between lies the tomato, in pieces and as a concentrate, with a mild sweetness and a light acidity. It tints the mixture reddish and makes the spread fruitier than a sardine could ever be on its own.

Garlic and onions season from the background without overpowering, and a little yeast extract deepens the savory tone. Cassava starch binds everything into a cream that stays on the bread instead of running off the edges.

On crostini, in pasta, alongside eggs

On thinly toasted crostini with a few basil leaves, this cream is exactly how it is enjoyed in the Mediterranean. A drop of olive oil on top is all the accompaniment it needs.

Stirred into warm pasta, one tin makes a quick sauce for two, where the capers remain intact as salty highlights. Served with halved hard-boiled eggs and a little parsley, it becomes an appetizer for four.

Its herbal-forward counterpart featuring light fish is the salmon cream with tarragon, which relies on anise rather than salt.

Capers are buds, not berries

What is in this tin as a caper is the unopened flower bud of the caper bush, picked before it can open. Fresh from the bush, it tastes like almost nothing and is unpleasantly bitter.

Only curing makes them what we know and appreciate. Ripened in salt or brine, the flavors develop over weeks while the bitter substances slowly migrate outward.

The smaller the bud at the time of picking, the finer and more expensive it becomes, which is why the smallest ones in France have their own name, "nonpareilles." They are picked by hand, bud by bud, because they never all reach the same stage on a bush at once.

In this cream, the capers are added only at the very end, once the fish, tomato, and oil have already been combined. This is the only way they withstand the mixing process without falling apart, retaining the firm casing that releases its salt when bitten.

The tin for a table with many small plates

It belongs on a table where several small bowls stand side by side, next to olives, radishes, and good bread. Once opened, it will keep covered in the refrigerator for one to two days. More fish spreads and creams can be found alongside it, and you can find everything from Brittany in our la belle-iloise selection.