Nuri Sardines in Spiced Tomato Sauce (4.4oz Tin)

This company has been producing tinned fish from Portugal for over 100 years.  

The tin opens up to reveal nice-sized Sardine fillets nestled in a rich, rust-red sauce. Next comes the heady aromas of tomatoes, smoked paprika, and the slightest hint of clove all dancing on a stage of briny seashore and hints of chili oil.

On the palate, The sardines are meaty and supple, with a satisfying flake that yields to the fork but stops short of mushiness. The sauce is no wallflower: you get sweet tomato up front, then a slow-building heat that lingers longer than a good conspiracy theory. Notes of garlic, bay leaf, and a touch of vinegar contribute to the overall impression.

All in all, you'll find that the spice seduces more than overwhelms. 

Serving: These are good straight from the tin (though a impossible to open without spilling a bit of the oil - bring lots of napkins) topped with pickled onions, or mash onto hot crostini swiped once or twice with a whole garlic clove or a little aioli and finished with a squeeze of lemon. Bonus points for pairing with a cheeky aperitivo (like an Amaro spritz.

Wine Pairing Suggestions 

• A chilled glass of Portuguese Vinho Verde offers a nice and refreshing contrast 
• Or reach for a Grenache-based rosé with enough fruit to tame the spice
• But my favorite idea is to reach for a Lambrusco — bubbles, acid, and attitude all under one cork