I appreciate good quality tinned fish most for their ability to deliver a tasty, protein-packed meal in very little time, and this recipe is a nice way to dress them up. I call for sardines packed in water since we’re creating our own olive oil sauce here, but use your favorite kind. The dish can be made a few hours ahead and is best served at room temperature.
Arrange sardine fillets skin side down in a large shallow bowl or plate, in a single layer or slightly overlapping.
In small nonstick skillet, combine oil, garlic, and shallot over medium-¬low heat. Once mixture starts to sizzle, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until mixture is fragrant and shallot is just softened, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and add lemon juice, serrano chile pepper, red pepper flakes, and half of tarragon. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix well. Pour mixture evenly over sardines.
Arrange sardines over toast, drizzling some spicy oil on top. Garnish with remaining tarragon.
*From Gather Around My Table: Simple, Flavorful Recipes from My Global Pantry. © 2026 by Kay Chun. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
