Sardines in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Sardines in spicy tomato sauce, fruity and piquant

Porthos sardines in spicy tomato sauce are whole Portuguese sardines in a fruity tomato sauce with chili, known in Portuguese as Sardinhas em tomate picante. Not a monotonous heat, but fruit and fire in perfect balance.

Sardines in spicy tomato sauce are the Mediterranean classic with temperament: whole Portuguese sardines, hand-selected, placed in a fruity tomato sauce and seasoned with chili. On the tin, they are labeled as Sardinhas em tomate picante. Fruity, aromatic and firm in texture, with a heat that warms the palate rather than burning it.

Fruity, spicy and fiery all at once

First comes the tomato, sweet and sun-ripened, then the sardine, then the chili. Three layers that alternate instead of overpowering one another.

The sauce is thick and fruity, the sardine remains firm, and the heat spreads warmly over it. The riper the tomato, the softer it catches the fire – keeping the spicy tomato sauce rounded and never biting. The tomatoes provide sweetness and acidity, a hint of chili adds the kick, and the mild oil keeps everything smooth.

A spoonful of the sauce on bread is a small pleasure in itself. And because the sardine stays whole and does not fall apart, every tin contains proper fish rather than fragments, just as a high-quality preserve should be.

On warm bread, with rice or beans

A thick slice of warm bread with some sauce on top makes for a quick dinner that tastes of the south and is ready in minutes. For those who like, sprinkle some fresh herbs on top, parsley or cilantro, and the tin becomes a little dish.

The sardines in spicy tomato sauce appreciate company: a plate of rice, a few white beans, a poached egg or a warm potato, paired with a glass of robust red wine. In Portugal, they are often eaten straight from the tin, with bread in one hand and a fork in the other.

If you prefer them without heat, you will find the mild counterpart in the sardines in tomato sauce, and those who prefer chili in oil can opt for the sardines in spiced oil. The entire range of sardines from Portugal is available here.

Porthos from the port of Matosinhos

Porthos is at home in Matosinhos, the port city near Porto, where the Atlantic provides the fish and the Conservas Portugal Norte cannery packs it by hand. The brand's roots go back to 1912. In Matosinhos, the scent of fish and salt has been a part of daily life since the first factories opened at the harbor.

The brand is named after the musketeer Porthos, created by Alexandre Dumas in 1844, the strongest of the three friends as Dumas portrayed him. Since the 1950s, the stately musketeer has appeared on the tin, and the artistically lithographed metal cans are now considered small collectibles of Portuguese canning art.

Over 100 years of experience are packed into this tin, and its reputation extends from Portugal to the Far East, where Porthos has been known in Macau for over 75 years. You can find the entire selection in our Porthos assortment. This is the taste of Portugal when it has temperament.