Sardine Casserole

Sardines...those small, oily, little silver fish that come in a cute little tin, full of Omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and Vitamin D. I LOVE them!

One day while perusing Food52, a site that brings together a community of passionate home and professional cooks who share recipes and culinary wisdom, I stumbled upon a Sardine Casserole recipe which was in a contest for "Your Best Cheap Feast." I read the recipe. I had to try it.

This dish is packed with superfoods and has a surprising mix of flavors: bold sardines, sweet butternut squash, earthy barley. You can't make this at the last minute...lots of steps and lots of dishes to clean up. If you like sardines, this dish is delicious and in the end, the time and effort are worth it. 

Sardine Casserole
2cans bone-in, skin-on, oil-packed sardines
2 large bunches kale
Olive oil
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. fresh thyme leaves
1 t. all purpose flour
1/2 c. creme fraiche
1 c. cooked barley
1/4 c. fresh bread crumbs
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. butternut squash, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 c. white wine

Coat the butternut squash with olive oil, toss with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes at 425. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, oil a large baking dish. Blanch the kale for about one minute in salted, boiling water. Drain well, and once it's cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess water.

Cook the onion with a pinch of salt in olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another minute. Add the blanched kale, more salt and pepper, and the flour. Stir everything together until the flour is distributed throughout. Add the creme fraiche, white wine, cooked barley, and cooked butternut squash. Cook until any liquid in the pan has evaporated. 

Remove the sardines from the oil (don't throw out the oil) and add them to the pan, breaking them up as you stir.

Transfer the sardine and kale mixture into the oiled baking dish. Drizzle the oil left over from the canned sardines on top of the mixture, and top with the Parmesan and breadcrumbs.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Lookin' good!

Just want to eat it out of the pan!

Big clean-up...