Friday, April 13, 2012

FFWD Sardine Rillettes

This was my first time trying sardines and I was pretty nervous.  My only comparison point is anchovies, which I like if they're chopped very fine and a very small component of a dish, but I don't like eating whole bites of them.  I've read about the great health benefits of sardines, though, and they're relatively inexpensive and environmentally sustainable, so I really wanted to like them.  

My grocery store had some interesting types of tinned sardines, I chose ones that were lightly smoked, since I love smoked fish and thought it might hide some of the strong flavor.  They were, however, whole and needed to be de-boned.  I know Dorie said these would have more flavor, but I have a feeling I might have been happier with fillets, I did not enjoy de-boning them (even though it was fast).  I just wasn't a fan of the smell at all.  I went on and finished making the dip, though.  


In hindsight, I'm regretting not halving the recipe.  I'm not sure what I was thinking!  This makes a lot of rillettes for two people, and would have been hard to finish even if we had loved them!  I did not love them.  I nervously ate a small amount, spread thinly on matzoh, and was not a fan.  Maybe I just psyched myself out, but it was really fishy.  My husband is braver than I am, and ate a reasonable amount spread on matzoh, with manchego on top.  He said that the manchego helped hide some of the fishiness.  I was glad he ate some of it, but definitely don't think I'll be making this one again.  We'd both prefer to just eat plain manchego!

Luckily, I had a feeling we might not like this one too much, so in addition to matzoh and a cheese plate, I served it with Dorie's Bacon, Egg and Asparagus salad.  We loved this one!  It's definitely a dinner I'll be making often while asparagus is in season.


I also caught up on two other recipes.  Last week, before Passover, I made the Cardamom Rice Pilaf.  This was also a keeper.  It was quick and tasted great.  Next time I might try it using brown rice (I'm always half-trying to eat healthier), but I'll definitely make it again.


Our two year wedding anniversary was this week, and I wanted to stay home because of Passover, so I was thrilled when I realized Michel Rostang’s Double Chocolate Mousse Cake was Kosher for Passover.  I burnt the cake a little bit and was very mad at myself - I knew my pan was bigger than the one Dorie called for but still completely forgot to adjust the baking time - but the cake still had a great texture and flavor.  If I don't make it before then, I'll definitely be making it next year for Passover.  So, even with the Rillettes, it was still a good Dorie week.  Go here to see what everyone else thought of the Rillettes. 


12 comments:

  1. I could have written that first paragraph! I definitely wanted to like sardines for all those great benefits. Thanks for reminding me about the asparagus, bacon and egg salad. I hope you had a great Passover!

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  2. Sardines, you either love them or hate them. I tried to be a good sport, but could not bring myself to do this one. I give you kudos for doing it and making a full batch. Manchego is one of my favorite cheeses! Happy Anniversary!

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  3. My goodness, quite a week! All of your recipes look delicious. We also had artichokes this past weekend, I get so excited when they start popping up in the market, I'm sure we will be eating lots more of them in the coming weeks.

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  4. Sorry you did not like this, however you dish looks delicious. The rest of your photos look
    absolutely amazing. We have been eating asparagus around here while it is in
    season, and Tricia just brought me a bunch of the white that I am anxious to try
    this weekend. We are also in the middle of pineapple season, and I am loving that.

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  5. I don't think many people enjoyed this. Good thing you made the yummy salad!

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  6. What a great catch-up post, Jora. I felt the same way about the sardines and was glad I only made one can. My daughter just tried them a bit ago happily made tacos with them, so it was a split opinion here. That mousse cake looks delicious as do the other recipes. They bring back memories. Happy Anniversary!

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  7. Happy Anniversary to you and Paul!

    Good call to halve the recipe. I made the whole thing and we were eating it for days. Fortunately, I did like it, but it was a lot.

    I know that Passover is almost over, but here's my winning recipe find for this year. Unbelievable.
    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Trademark-Most-Requested-Absolutely-Magnificent-Caramel-Matzoh-Crunch-109117

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    Replies
    1. I LOVE that recipe!!! I discovered it on David Lebovitz's blog a couple of years ago and make it every year now. We call it matzoh crack in our house.

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  8. I pretty much felt the same way - no thank you to team sardine...

    I our house, The Dude was eating them with pickled grapes.

    Happy anniversary!

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  9. Happy Anniversary! The chocolate cake looks great! The sardines were a mix at our house, I liked them (probably helped to have the already deboned and deskinned ones), hubby did not. It was fun to try a new recipe!

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  10. :) It looks like you had a fabulous Dorie feast! The asparagus and bacon salad was a fave of ours and I should make it again soon! The cardamom rice pilaf is something we have made over and over again for the base of so many other dishes or just for a different flavored rice dish.... the double chocolate mousse cake is something we have made SO many times and absolutely love! too bad you didnt like the sardine rillettes, maybe you will like the salmon one better when we get around to that one! :)

    Alice @ http://acookingmizer.wordpress.com

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  11. This one was obviously not a FFwD favorite for many! I'm glad you were able to cook some other terrific Dorie recipes this week :)

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