Dr Mobeus
Sardines on Toast
Sardines on toast is the lunch that fed Britain through decades of hard times, and it still holds up today. A tin of sardines in tomato sauce costs around 65p and delivers as much protein as a chicken breast, plus omega-3 and calcium from the soft bones. On toast with tomato and a squeeze of lemon, it is a genuinely great lunch for under 60p.
The only rule is to warm the sardines gently rather than frying them hard – the tomato sauce burns easily and the fish is already cooked. Everything else takes two minutes. If you have never tried sardines on toast, this is the version to start with.
Sardines on Toast
Ingredients
Method
- Put the bread in the toaster. Have everything else ready so the toast is still hot when you assemble.
- Tip the sardines and their tomato sauce into a small pan. Warm over a low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring gently. Do not boil.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce if using, and season with plenty of black pepper.
- Butter the toast if using. Lay the tomato slices on top.
- Spoon the warm sardines and sauce over the toast.
- Squeeze over the lemon, add one last grind of pepper, and eat immediately.
Tips and Variations
Sardines in tomato sauce are the classic choice, but brined sardines work too – just add a spoon of tomato puree to the pan. Mash half the sardines with the back of a spoon so every slice of toast gets some fish. A few drops of Tabasco or a pinch of chilli flakes work as well as Worcestershire sauce. Squeeze the lemon on at the very end – it cuts through the richness of the fish. Wholemeal bread adds fibre and keeps the cost about the same.
