Sardines à l'huile d'olive vierge extra

Extra-virgin olive oil sardines are the classic cupboard tin for people who want a straightforward oily-fish staple rather than a dressed-up recipe. By our assessment, Sardines à l'huile d'olive vierge extra do best when the fish itself is the point: the olive oil rounds the taste and gives the flesh a softer, fuller feel. The limit is the same one that comes with most sardines in oil, namely a rich, fairly assertive flavour that will not suit every plate. In practice they are useful on toast, with potatoes, or broken into a salad, where the oil becomes part of the meal instead of feeling like a coating. Compared with lemon versions or more heavily seasoned tins, this is the plainer, more direct option. The Astrina catalogue files it under sardines in olive oil, which is the right shelf for it.