Sardine Meze with Olive, Cucumber & Yogurt
By Michael Psilakis
Sardine Meze with Olive, Cucumber & Yogurt
4 whole, very fresh sardines
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 fresh bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup dry white wine
1 pint white wine vinegar
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup sugar
Extra-virgin olive oil
1. Remove the filets from the sardines and trim them to a nice, neat shape.
2. Lightly toast the spices in a dry saucepan. Add the bay leaf, thyme, lemon zest and wine. Reduce the liquid by half. Stir in the vinegar, salt, and sugar.
3. Place the sardine in a container and cover with the cold pickling liquid. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain off the pickling solution, and hold the sardines in olive oil until serving.
Cucumber Plank:
Half an English cucumber, peeled
Cut four slices of cucumber 1/8-inch thick; trim to the same size as the sardines.
Thassos Olive Oil:
1 cup Dried Thassos Olives
¼ cup fresh Thassos olives, pitted
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. Place the dried olives in a blender and puree to a fine powder, scraping down the sides. Add the fresh olives bit by bit, pureeing after each addition, until the olive puree is a thick, loose paste. Slowly incorporate the olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the puree is only just pour-able.
Assembly:
The Thassos olive oil
The pickled sardines
Extra-virgin olive oil
Small pinch of dry Greek oregano
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
The cucumber planks
2 teaspoons Greek or sheep’s milk yogurt
2 Thassos olives, slivered
Tiny, picked sprigs of dill
1. In each vessel, make a small pool of the Thassos olive oil. Paint each sardine with a little olive oil and season with a few grains of oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
2. Place a sardine on each cucumber plank and place on top of the olive paste. Make a small dot of yogurt and a dot of Thassos olive oil in the center of each sardine. Garnish with a sliver of Thassos olive and a tiny dill sprig.