These delicious tiny sardines from Galicia in the north of Spain are harvested by net along the shores of the Rianxo estuaries. Very mild and tender, they are packed in a delicious escabeche vinegar sauce. Serve with a glass of Albariño white wine and some crusty bread.
The fish are prepared fresh just hours after harvest. They are washed in fresh seawater and then sautéed in olive oil to give the fish a firm texture so that it will not break up. Then the sardines are cooled and drained of any excess olive oil. One by one, they are layered in the tin. They are a wonderful delicacy, well worth the careful detail.
Chef José Andrés works with the artisans at Los Peperetes to make this premium seafood for his personal collection. They are obsessive about quality and source their sardines locally from trusted fishermen.