Small Sardines in Olive Oil

Small sardines in olive oil, tender and mild from France

The small sardines in olive oil from La Perle des Dieux are tender mini-sardines (sardinettes) from the Vendée, packed fresh from the catch in extra virgin olive oil. A simple, refined recipe made from only three ingredients – eight to ten small fish per tin.

Small sardines in olive oil are young, small sardines, known in France as sardinettes, from the Conserverie La Perle des Dieux in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, in the Vendée on the Atlantic coast south of Brittany. Cleaned by hand while fresh from the catch and packed in extra virgin olive oil – just sardines, oil, and salt, nothing more is needed.

Petites fondantes, small and tender

Because the little fish are so small, they are particularly tender – the French affectionately call them petites fondantes, the little melting ones.

There are eight to ten of them in a tin, where the aromatic olive oil blends with the delicate fat of the sardines. Mild, tender, with a clear note of the sea – an uncomplicated treat that tastes like the south.

On bread, in a salad, for an aperitif

Small sardines are the perfect aperitif snack: served straight from the tin onto fresh bread, with a few drops of their oil added.

For us, they belong on crispy baguette with a little fleur de sel and a squeeze of lemon, accompanied by a chilled glass of white wine. They are equally delicious over a summer salad or in pasta with lemon. You can find a large selection of other sardines in olive oil in our shop.

Once opened, keep covered in oil in the refrigerator and consume within one to two days – if there is anything left at all.

A sardine house with art on the tin

La Perle des Dieux is arguably the most feminine cannery in the industry – founded in 2005 by Claudie Vardelle, who came from the Parisian fashion world.

Together with Philippe Gendreau, whose family has been preserving canned fish for four generations, she wanted to restore the nobility of the sardine – using art instead of nets on the tin. Fresh from the catch, the sardines are cleaned and packed by hand according to both traditional and newly inspired recipes. The house became famous for its vintage sardines by La Perle des Dieux, designed by artists Delphine Cossais and Coralie Joulin.

If you like these small sardines, you will also find flavored recipes in our shop – such as sardines with lemon or with olives, pepper, and more.

Content 115 g – Drained weight 86.3 g