Rillettes de Sardines de Placard
Rillettes de Sardines de Placard·(ree-YET duh sar-DEEN duh plah-CAR)
L'Heure de l'Apéro: The Daily Parisian Unwinding
The pull-tab tin sits on the counter. A heavy fork rests beside it. The clock hits six p.m. on a Tuesday. By dragging that fork through a cheap tin of oil-packed sardines and some good cream cheese, you build a serious spread in minutes. Step away from the food processor, leave the soft bones exactly where they are, and give the mixture half an hour in the cold to let the fats and acids figure themselves out. Pile it on a heel of baguette and pour yourself a drink.
Ingredients
- sardines packed in olive oil4 oz
- full-fat cream cheese3 tbsp
- shallot1 small
- lemon juice1 tbsp
- lemon zest1 pinch
- cornichons1 tbsp
- fresh chives1 tbsp
- Piment d'Espelette1 pinch
- black pepper1 pinch
Method
- 01
Combine the base ingredients in a shallow bowl.
Place the drained sardines and softened cream cheese together. Do not pull out the central fish spines; they are soft, entirely edible, and will mash right into the spread.
- 02
Mash the mixture firmly with the back of a fork.
Resist the urge to use a food processor. You want a rustic, slightly stringy paste with distinct flakes of fish remaining, not a soulless puree.
- 03
Fold in the aromatics.
Gently stir in the minced shallot, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornichons, chives, Piment d'Espelette, and black pepper. Taste for seasoning, holding off on salt unless absolutely necessary.
- 04
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Do not skip this resting period. The chill allows the fats to re-solidify into a proper spreadable structure and gives the harsh bite of the raw shallot time to mellow.
- 05
Temper slightly before serving.
Pull the ramekin from the fridge about 10 minutes before you plan to eat so it softens just enough to spread cleanly across a toasted baguette.
Notes
The Breton butter secret.
For a truly historic, coastal French variation, swap the cream cheese for an equal measure of high-quality cultured salted butter.
Piment d'Espelette substitution.
If you cannot find this sweet Basque chili powder, use a pinch of sweet paprika mixed with a tiny dash of cayenne pepper.
Caper variation.
If you do not have cornichons on hand, an equal amount of drained, non-pareil capers provides the necessary acetic tang.
From Cook French in America.