Smoked Sardines with Heirloom Tomatoes and Herbs
From For Cod and Country by Barton Seaver
Couldn’t be any simpler than this. In keeping with the ease of a tomato salad, all you have to do here is to open up the can of sardines and chop some herbs. Regular red tomatoes will also work, but heirlooms have interesting and unique flavors and give you the ability to mix and match different personalities on the plate.
Serves 4
2 pounds super-ripe heirloom tomatoes (I prefer a colorful mix of varieties)
Two 6-ounce cans smoked sardine fillets
Salt
¼ cup chopped fresh soft-leaved herbs such as cilantro, parsley, mint or chervil
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
Slice the tomatoes ½ inch thick and distribute them among 4 plates. Flake the sardines over the tomatoes and drizzle the sardine oil over the top. Season to taste with salt and sprinkle the herbs and scallions over all. Serve immediately.
