The Sardine Tosta

Grilled baguette, a spoonful of salsa from the fridge, and a tin of sardines: dinner for two in ten minutes.

⌛ 10 minutes ✧ 🍽️ 2

🐟 Sardines in olive oil

This is the kind of recipe that only works when you stop overthinking it. A baguette sliced on the diagonal and toasted until golden. A generous spread of tomato salsa — whatever you have. Sardines laid on top, whole. A scatter of fresh chives. The whole thing comes together in ten minutes and looks like something you'd order at a small wine bar in Barcelona. All it needs is a good tin, a candle, and someone to share it with.

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced diagonally into thick pieces
1 tin of sardines in olive oil (approx. 120g)
4–6 tbsp tomato salsa (store-bought or homemade — use whatever's in the fridge)
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
Black pepper

Instructions

Toast or grill the baguette slices until golden and crisp with a little char at the edges.
Spread tomato salsa generously over each warm slice.
Open the sardines and lay the fillets over the salsa, whole.
Scatter fresh chives over the top and finish with a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Serving suggestion

The bread should still be warm when you serve it — that's when the salsa soaks in just slightly and everything comes together. A cold beer or a glass of light sparkling wine is exactly right alongside. This is a dinner that deserves a candle on the table, even on a Tuesday.