Sardine Toasts With Tomato Mayonnaise and Fennel
Elegant open-faced sandwiches featuring grilled country bread topped with a spiced tomato mayonnaise, oil-packed sardines, and a fresh fennel herb salad. The combination of roasted tomatoes, aromatic spices, and fresh herbs creates a sophisticated appetizer or light meal.
Ingredients
- •1½ pounds plum tomatoes
- •¼ cup olive oil
- •1 to taste Kosher salt
- •½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- •¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- •¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
- •½ cup mayonnaise
- •4 slices country-style bread
- •3 tablespoons olive oil
- •1 small fennel bulb
- •1 tablespoon dill
- •1 tablespoon parsley
- •1 tablespoon lemon juice
- •1 to taste Kosher salt
- •2 cans oil-packed sardines
- •1 piece spice mill or mortar and pestle
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 500°F. Toss tomatoes with oil on a rimmed baking sheet to coat. Roast until skin is blackened and tomatoes are very soft, 20-25 minutes. Pass tomatoes through finest disk of a food mill or a coarse-mesh sieve into a small saucepan; season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, and cook until you have about 1/2 cup tomato purée. Let cool.
25 min
- 2.
Meanwhile, toast fenugreek, cumin, and peppercorns in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant. Let cool and finely grind in spice mill or with mortar and pestle.
5 min
- 3.
Mix tomato purée, spice mixture, and mayonnaise in a bowl; season with salt.
5 min
- 4.
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. (Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium-high.) Brush both sides of bread with 2 Tbsp. oil total and grill until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.
10 min
- 5.
Toss fennel, dill, parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl; season with salt. Spread tomato mayonnaise over toast and top each with a few sardines and some fennel salad.
10 min
- 6.
Tomato mayonnaise can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill.
