So simple and so good, the sardine casserole with potatoes is a fish main course to present on any occasion. After the potato and fresh anchovies casserole, here’s how you can present anchovies or sardines in another version.
Get a rectangular baking dish of 8-9.5 inches maximum, fresh sardines to clean, boiled potatoes, and a generous handful of parsley. The sardine casserole with potatoes and tomatoes will be ready in the oven in 30 minutes, with a tasty crust of crunchy bread.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs sardines (fresh to clean)
- 1.3 lbs potatoes (to boil and peel)
- A few cherry tomatoes (4-5)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch chopped parsley
- 3 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
- A few tsps breadcrumbs
- to taste oil, salt, ground pepper
Steps
Clean the sardines one by one, gutting them, then remove the head and pull out the spine.
Wash them well under running water and set them aside.
Meanwhile, you should have put the potatoes to cook in a pot with water and boiled them. When they are ready, let them cool, peel them and grate them or crush them coarsely; you don’t want them to become a puree.
In a bowl, put the mashed potatoes, egg, grated Parmesan cheese, minced or crushed garlic, fresh chopped parsley, salt, and a sprinkle of ground black pepper. If you see that the potato mixture is too moist, you can add 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs to firm it up a bit. Mix the mixture well, taste it, and adjust the salt to your liking.
Take the rectangular baking dish, brush it with oil, and then cover it with breadcrumbs, removing the excess.
Line the baking dish with sardines on the bottom and on all four sides. Set aside one-third of the sardines to cover the top of the casserole.
Put half of the potato mixture in the baking dish, then make a row of sliced and drained cherry tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of breadcrumbs on top of the tomatoes, then cover with the other half of the potato mixture.
Level the surface and cover everything with the remaining sardines set aside. A sprinkle of breadcrumbs, and bake the casserole for 30 minutes in the preheated oven at 356°F.
When the crust is golden and you know it’s cooked, take it out of the oven, but let it cool before serving it with some sprigs of parsley and lemon slices.
