# More Smoked Sardines!



## leah elisheva (Oct 24, 2013)

Good Morning to all! And Happy Thursday!

While I've already posted some smoked sardines on this site; Dirtsailor suggested that I start showing the prep work involved in the pieces I make, and so I figured that having smoked more sardines this morning (at 6 a.m. or so even) that was a good enough place to start.

If nothing else, you'll know that I don't simply buy "prepared food" and plunk it down on the table, and that I am indeed gutting, scaling, smoking, and so forth, myself.

OK, Cheers to today! These sardines, and smoked sweet potato, were AMAZING! Make today delicious! - Leah













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The above sardines were just exclaiming, "Please have me for lunch!"













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Grizzly as all get out "morning photo" as it is; I adore gutting and scaling fish, and find it therapeutic and calming even! My kind of therapy! (Kindly forgive the early morning sloppiness, though I wasn't going for "Vogue Magazine" here, by any stretch, and just happily making my lunch)!













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Layering the fish and some sliced sweet potato onto my little mini "thing," this smoked for 25 minutes and smelled fantastically!













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Kale, shallots, olive oil and oregano, just topped this off and it was DELICIOUS! I eat these like corn on the cob, munching up the tail and bones (great calcium right) and loving it all the way!













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The remains reveal a secret: I'm very *thorough,* and a *"good eater."* Though somehow, I think that part is known.

OK then, that's my first attempt to show the prep. May Dirtsailor and all others enjoy! And here's a huge cheers to everyone's Thursday being fabulous!!!!! - Leah


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## link (Oct 24, 2013)

Man those sardines look fantastic and I agree with you that the prep work prior to smoking to me is just as much fun as the rest of it.

Thanks for sharing.


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## pgsmoker64 (Oct 24, 2013)

Hi Leah,

Your creations constantly make my mouth water and I'm not usually much for fish.  Your creativity and plating are wonderful.

The picture...well you look absolutely gorgeous to me!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  If that is sloppiness I can't wait to see you dressed up.

Keep the great dishes coming!

Thank you for sharing again,

Bill


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## leah elisheva (Oct 24, 2013)

Thank you so much Bill, and Link! So very kind!

Here's to the 'prep' indeed! The "process" in life, as far as so many things anyway, seems just as fun as the result - if not more so! Agreed!

Happy Thursday!!!! Cheers! - Leah


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## Bearcarver (Oct 24, 2013)

This Thread is just flat out awesome!!!

And that was one of the things I loved about Smelts too---Eating the bones, and back then my favorite part of a trout was the tail---Nice & crispy!! You're bringing back memories!!

Thanks for sharing, Leah!!!

Bear


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## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 24, 2013)

Hey we use those to catch bigger fishes!

Another great looking meal Leah! The only sardines we can find here come in a can!













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## smokinhusker (Oct 24, 2013)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Hey we use those to catch bigger fishes!
> 
> Another great looking meal Leah! The only sardines we can find here come in a can!
> 
> ...


That's the only kind we can find and they aren't even from the USA anymore.

But Leah, fantastic job and thanks for sharing the prep work with us.


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## leah elisheva (Oct 24, 2013)

Thank you tons Bear, Dirtsailor, and SmokinHusker! The canned ones are delicious too, although I love smoking the whole!!! Happy Thursday!!!!!! Cheers! - Leah


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## dls1 (Oct 24, 2013)

Leah - This is just gorgeous, as all of your threads are.

I've eaten freshly caught grilled countless time on the beaches and in tapas bars in Portugal and Spain, but they're rarely available where I live. When I do find them, I've never smoked them because I never thought of it. I've just grilled them following a marinade of oil, lemon, garlic, fennel, and smoked Spanish paprika. Next time around, I'll try smoking them.

One important thing my Iberian friends taught me many years ago was the proper way of eating them. Using the head and the tail as handles, they're eaten like corn on the cob.


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## leah elisheva (Oct 24, 2013)

Well thank you so much dls1!

Agreed, entirely! (The 'corn on the cob' method of eating)!

I eat the tail, and all the body/bones/skin whole thing, and then take out the little cheeks of the head and eat that, and leave only what is shown in the last photo above. DELICIOUS stuff!

The bones are so small, and once smoked, you can just munch through the whole thing - oil dripping down the chin - and eat like a Bacchanalian and passionate lunatic!  It's pretty fun! And at 6 or so in the morning even!

Anyway, your food sounds fabulous! (With fennel and paprika and all).

Here's to wonderful food and to life and to today! Cheers! - Leah


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## moikel (Oct 24, 2013)

There is an old post somewhere of mine where I preserve sardines the " village" way. Like a poor mans anchovies . Butterfly,packed between layers of salt with weights on top.Left for a month then washed,dried,packed in jars under oil with chilli.
I agree about the therapy value of fish cleaning until you do 7 -10 kg of sardines!
They are a great fish much under rated. Have you tried them " agri dolce" sweet & sour" ?


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## leah elisheva (Oct 24, 2013)

Hi Moikel!

That all sounds wonderful!

I have not had "sweet & sour" sardines. That must be fabulous too!

Whether herring, smelts, sardines, anchovies (the white & the brown too), or whatever it be; I love it all!

Happy Friday to you!!!!! (As I believe it's Friday now in Australia). Cheers! - Leah


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## foamheart (Oct 24, 2013)

You've got me for the first time, Smoked sweet potatoes and smoked sardines. I like 'em both but together?


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## leah elisheva (Oct 24, 2013)

Hi Foamheart! The two were actually great together! (Especially when pushing the potato around in the oil and oregano etc.)! I loved it!!!

Anyway, here's to a fabulous Thursday evening!!! (For a gal who wakes up at 3 a.m. each day, this is my Midnight practically, and so I may not be as sharp as when newly awake. However, I STILL think that combo worked well). Smiles.

Happy evening to you!!! Cheers! - Leah


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## moikel (Oct 24, 2013)

I will do sweet & sour sardines soon.Total fire bans here so it will pan fried not grilled. From what I see of your cooking style its your sort of dish.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





.Our sardines are a bit different,hugely under rated fish by people to lazy or uneducated to clean fish but dumb enough to pay stupid money for fillets of farmed fish.

Love your cooking.


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## leah elisheva (Oct 25, 2013)

Thank you Moikel!

I really enjoy the "process" of working for one's food - whether pulling apart a Cornish hen and scraping every tendon and area until the bare bones of a carcass are all that remain, or cleaning fish, cracking apart a lobster, shucking clams to eat raw - or oysters - and so it goes. It somehow makes me appreciate what I'm eating even more.

Your nation has really suffered from these horrible fires! I hope things are much better today.

Cheers to the weekend!!! - Leah

_*PS: To all, did anybody get an elk yesterday???? I'm salivating just thinking about it!!!!!!_


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## moikel (Oct 25, 2013)

Fires seem to be under control. There will be a lot of soul searching & cost counting from here. 
Massive respect to our firefighters ,it's been a terrible time & it's only early  in the season.
I learnt the process part back on the farm,once I had basics I could apply it to  critters I hadn't seen before like squid,octopus .
My week ender is on the coast in a little fishing & oyster town. My neighbour was the world champion oyster opener in 1984, Galway oyster festival. He s still fast  a dozen in 55 seconds on TV  cooking show this year , at 64 !  He currently turns over 40,000 dozen a year ,100,000 dozen back in the day!


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## leah elisheva (Oct 25, 2013)

Hi Moikel! So sorry about all those fires indeed. But your oyster pal sounds incredible! Here's to the "Good!" Cheers and happy weekend to all! - Leah


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## leah elisheva (Nov 12, 2013)

Hi Great Cookies! And happy Tuesday to you!

I smoked some more whole sardines today for lunch, and this time paired those alongside some oven roasted root veggies that were in a SMOKED paprika, SMOKED Hawaiian Kiawe Wood Sea Salt, and Grapeseed Oil sauce!

Collard greens went into it all too, and the end result was just tremendous! I munched through all the bones, devoured the entire thing, and just adored it!

Happy terrific Tuesday doings to all! And here's to making today even better than yesterday! Cheers!!!!! - Leah













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## Bearcarver (Nov 12, 2013)

Nice looking Sardines Again, Leah!!!

You always make them look so appetizing!!!

Thanks for sharing!

Bear


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## leah elisheva (Nov 12, 2013)

Thanks Bear! So happy you're back with us, as you were indeed missed!

And we just started a new "wine group" in the group section, while you were out; and I would love for you to jump on over and join us!

Meanwhile, CHEERS to today! - Leah


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## driedstick (Nov 12, 2013)

Leah, Not a big fish (Eating) fan but you make those look great, I am sure they taste great also. Love to catch them,  Fishing for Salmon and Steelhead here in my area at this time. I'm more of a beef, pork, elk & deer consumer LOL 






Very nice post enjoy reading them when you post them.


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## leah elisheva (Nov 12, 2013)

Well thank you so much Driedstick!!!

Your fishing sounds amazing!!

And I too am a fan of elk, deer, and many red meats such as ostrich, kangaroo, wild boar, yak, caribou, bear, bison, moose, and then let's see, lamb, goat, and, well, OK then, you get the idea! Smiles.

I do eat some grass fed beef now and then too, but find the flavor in the exotic game meats is more what I like.

In any event, thanks for nice words on the post! My meals are so simple but I enjoy them indeed! Cheers!! - Leah


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## Bearcarver (Nov 12, 2013)

LeahOceanNotes said:


> Thanks Bear! So happy you're back with us, as you were indeed missed!
> 
> And we just started a new "wine group" in the group section, while you were out; and I would love for you to jump on over and join us!
> 
> Meanwhile, CHEERS to today! - Leah


Thanks Leah !!

I'll stop in as soon as I get time, but I doubt if I have anything to contribute.

My knowledge of wine is limited to what my mother used to get out every Christmas-----Mogan David and Boone's Farm.

I always stayed with Beer---Usually kept me out of trouble!!

Bear


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## leah elisheva (Nov 12, 2013)

You're still welcome to join and share whatever you wish!!! The wine club is to be super friendly, and no matter what anyone is drinking, it is perfectly fine!!!!!!! Cheers!!! - Leah


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## GaryHibbert (Nov 13, 2013)

Hey Leah

Being from Saskatchewan, and living in Alberta I thouht sardines came headless and in a tin can.  Go figure.  Actually, they look really good

Gary


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## leah elisheva (Nov 13, 2013)

Thanks Gary! I really love them!

Whether sardines, whiting or smelt, I can eat the whole thing - bones and all - and just adore them!

Funny, I've always thought that I was part Lion with my crazy appetite, although perhaps some alley cat does dwell within there too! Smiles.

Happy midweek!!! Cheers!!! - Leah


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## leah elisheva (Dec 5, 2013)

Just another rotation of more smoked sardines today.

But today they came smaller than usual around here; and so I smoked them longer - about 30 minutes versus my 20-25 norm - really crisping them up!

I was thus able to munch right on through the entire fabulous thing! Heads, eyes, and all! It was delicious!!!

Cheers! - Leah













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## moikel (Dec 5, 2013)

They look great as usual.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Coming into season here but different fish same name
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





.Really close,small,oily,tasty but I think ours used to be called scaley mackeral ,them pilchards & now the much sexier sardine.

Aussie's will go to Europe eat them char grilled in Portugal or similar without realising they are under their noses here.


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## leah elisheva (Dec 6, 2013)

So interesting Mick, that some Aussies go abroad and quite happily gorge and yet without knowing they have access to such and right at home.

I grew up two hours south, by car, from Montreal, Canada (in The People's Republic of Vermont) and last year was chatting with my doctor about her vacation in Montreal, where she enjoyed eating Putine. (The french fries with cheese curd, smoked brisket bits with gravy often ladled over it too, sometimes duck fat, and various "versions" of this rustic dish).

My brother, also a foodie albeit very passionate about pork, VERY heavy rustic fare, (versus my penchant and preference for exotic, HEALTHFUL, and minimalistically arranged food) appreciates hearing of such things, and so I wrote him, and told him I had learned about a dish he may enjoy that was called "Putine."

Next came him asking how in the hell I could have grown up so close to the Canadian border, dined so many times in Canada therefore as well; and never experienced Putine???? Oh dear.

And so, much like your Aussies, sometimes, we know not, of what's right before us.

Cheers to discovering such though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Leah


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