Crostini with Sardines Lemon (Printable)

Crispy bread slices topped with sardines, lemon zest, and fresh herbs for a bright starter.

# What you'll need:

→ Bread

01 - 1 baguette, sliced into 8 thin rounds
02 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Topping

03 - 1 tin (3.5 ounces) high-quality sardines in olive oil, drained
04 - Zest of 1 lemon
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
06 - 1 small garlic clove, peeled
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
08 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
09 - Flaky sea salt to taste

→ Garnish

10 - Additional parsley leaves
11 - Extra lemon wedges optional

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides lightly with extra-virgin olive oil.
02 - Toast in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.
03 - While bread is still warm, gently rub one side of each slice with the garlic clove. Discard remaining garlic.
04 - Lay drained sardines evenly over the crostini, breaking larger fillets if necessary.
05 - Drizzle each crostini with lemon juice, then sprinkle with lemon zest and chopped parsley.
06 - Season each crostini with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
07 - Garnish with additional parsley leaves and serve immediately with lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes barely twenty minutes from craving to serving, perfect for unexpected guests or when you want something elegant without the stress.
  • Those crispy, garlicky toasts with briny sardines and bright lemon create a flavor combination that somehow feels both sophisticated and comfortingly familiar.
02 -
  • Toast the bread while the oven is hot and eat the crostini within a few minutes of assembly, or the toasts will absorb moisture from the sardines and lose their crucial crispness.
  • One tiny tin of quality sardines goes further than you'd expect because they're rich and flavorful—you're not trying to load every inch of bread, just add enough that each bite includes a little piece of the sea.
03 -
  • If the bread is already losing its crispness by the time you're ready to serve, warm it in a low oven for just a minute or two right before topping it—rescued many a crostini this way.
  • A whisper of softened butter or creamy ricotta spread on the warm toast before adding sardines adds richness that makes the whole thing feel more indulgent without changing what the dish is.
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