02/06/2026
🐟 Sardines on sourdough toast with umami mayonnaise, capers & pickled red onion.
A quick lunch packed with flavour: sardines, punchy homemade umami mayo, sharp capers and pickled red onion. And the best part? No wasting that delicious sardine oil. Use it to make a super quick mayonnaise.
1 can Essential Sardines in Olive Oil
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Squeeze of lemon juice
3 cocktail gherkins, finely sliced
2 slices sourdough bread
Salt and white pepper
For the mayo
1 egg yolk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp tomato paste
Sardine olive oil from the can
Splash of Tabasco
Drain the oil from the sardines into a small bowl and set aside.
Whisk together the egg yolk, Dijon mustard and tomato paste. Slowly drizzle in the reserved sardine oil, whisking continuously until thick and glossy. Season with white pepper and a splash of Tabasco.
In a bowl, combine the sardines, red onion, capers, parsley, gherkins and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season generously with black pepper and gently break up the fish, keeping some chunky pieces intact.
Toast the sourdough, then pile on the sardine mixture and finish with generous spoonfuls of the umami mayo.
Simple ingredients, big flavours, no waste.
Waitrose is the first retailer to have its entire own-brand canned fish range certified (look for the MSC blue label).
Sardines are one of my favourite store-cupboard ingredients: affordable, nutritious and perfect for an easy lunch.
