Portuguese Sardine Pate

Name: Portuguese Sardine Pate
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 1 x 120g can sardines in oil; 50g softened butter; 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil; smoked paprika, to taste; Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Squeeze lemon juice

Sardines abound in Portuguese waters and are one of the country’s most popular fish, with each person consuming an average of 5kg per year. Lisbon’s annual sardine festival sees the streets filled with parties, parades and makeshift charcoal grilling stations cooking so many sardines that about 13 are eaten every second of the festival! Chef Jose Silva says: “Paté de sardinha, olives and bread are always on the table when you walk into a restaurant in Portugal, even before you order.” I make my Portuguese sardine pate with artisanal Aussie sardines, caught and preserved in South Australia by the Little Tin Co. (find stockists on their website). I often serve it with olives and another favourite Portuguese snack, lupine (tremoço in Portuguese), which are eaten by squeezing the bean out of the outer skin that’s then discarded, and a glass of Sigurd Wines rosé, an unfiltered, unfined blend of at least 8 different varietals that’s a perfect match for the rich sardine flavour. Master another Portuguese classic with the video below.

Serves 2–4 as a snack

Ingredients

1 x 110g can sardines in oil
50g softened butter
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Squeeze lemon juice
Olives, lupine and bread, for serving

Method

Drain the sardines, gently rub off as much skin as possible and discard the bones.
Place sardine meat in a bowl with butter, oil and paprika and mash to form a coarse paste.
Taste and add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Transfer to a small dish, cover and refrigerate until needed, ideally overnight.
Remove from the fridge 30 minutes or so before serving.
Serve with olives, lupine, bread and a chilled vinho verde like Casal Garcia.