Thin Sardine Tart

Heart month is the perfect time to broaden your repertoire of heart-healthy dishes. And just in time is Healthy Eating for Your Heart: 100 Mouthwatering and Heart-Friendly Recipes From a Leading Chef and Dietitian. Chef Paul Gayler has teamed with Jacqui Morrell, BSc, RD, to offer both a primer on heart-healthy eating and a tempting collection of recipes, such as this omega-rich tart.

Thin Sardine Tart

A delicate and light tart base, topped with sardines—a play on the classic pissaladière from southern France. Filo is less fattening than puff pastry, and it is wonderfully crispy. Altogether a great starter or lunchtime dish, redolent with the flavours of Provence.

Oil-water spray*
4 filo pastry sheets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon black olives, pitted
and roughly chopped
2 tinned anchovy fillets, drained,
rinsed and finely chopped
8 fresh sardines, cleaned,
scaled and filleted
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF/gas mark 6. Warm a 23cm baking tin or pizza tin in the oven. Remove and spray with the oil-water spray.

Place one sheet of filo in the tin then lightly spray all over, top with a second sheet, spray again, top with a third sheet, spray again, then top with the last sheet. Place in the oven for 2–3 minutes, then remove. Crumple up the excess pastry overhanging the tin to form a rim.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan, add the onion, garlic and olives and cook over a moderate heat for 10–12 minutes until the onions are soft, golden and caramelised.

Remove from the pan, add the anchovies and mix well.

Wipe out the pan. Return to the heat and squirt with a little oil-water spray. Fry the sardine fillets for 2–3 minutes until golden and lightly crisp.

Spread the onion mix evenly over the filo base, then arrange the cooked sardine fillets on top. Scatter over the thyme and return to the oven for 2–3 minutes. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve on a large dish with a bowl of green salad.

Per serving: 310 kcals, 14g fat, 3g saturated fat, 0.44g sodium

*Oil water sprays can be bought commercially or made up at home by combining your favorite high-quality oils (add seven parts water to one part oil.)

Recipe reprinted with permission from Healthy Eating for Your Heart, by Paul Gayler with Jacqui Morell, BSc, RD
www.kylecathie.com