boneless Archives - Sardeenz!

Sultan Moroccan Sardines Boneless/Skinless in Olive Oil

These Sultan Moroccan Sardines Boneless/Skinless in Olive Oil came from a Middle Eastern market from which I had previously obtained other Sultan varieties. Supply chain issues had briefly impacted their ability to stock the variety of tinned fish I'm used to finding there. As such, these were the only "new to me" selection available. Let's see how they are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

They look about the same as most boneless skinless sardines, sort of a drab, pale color. There's a bit of a sulfurous odor, but it quickly dissipates. The oil, what there is of it, is similarly pale, almost clear. Unusual for olive oil. A sip of it has a subtle flinty, mineral note.

Let's Dig In

And by "dig in", I mean literally. They are packed in there tight, so much so I can't even get a count. I had to pry them out of the tin in chunks. There was so much fish in the can, there was barely any oil left after I got them all out.

The first bite was a disappointment. The fish is dry and a bit mealy. Perhaps some more oil and some less fish would have prevented this, I don't know. Continuing on, the flavor is bland and needs salt badly. Sodium is listed at a relatively low 240mg.

I was able to improve things a bit with some hot chili oil. It added flavor, salt and some needed moisture. So, not a total loss. Having said that, I think I will go back and get some more. They were quite the bargain at under $3 for a generous 4.41oz. portion that was 95% fish. That's a lot of protein for the money, tinned fish-wise. If the next can isn't any better on its own merits, I'll know how to deal with it.

Main Takeaways

Dry and a bit mealy
Bland and needed salt
Generous portion

Brand: Sultan
Description: Sardines boneless/skinless in olive oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.41 oz.
Price Range: $3

Whole Foods 365 Skinless Boneless Sardines in EVOO

DeenLeave a comment

I got these Whole Foods 365 Skinless Boneless Sardines in EVOO mainly due to my not paying attention. I'd had the regular ones before, and found them OK for the price, although a bit bland. But WF seems to be inconsistent about keeping them stocked, for whatever reason. I grabbed these, thinking they were the other ones, and even wrote off the receipt saying skinless boneless as a data entry error, only to notice my oversight six months later. Duh, me. Anyway, let's see how they are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

They're not as pretty as the King Oscar of which I've had dozens of cans. I see a few scales, unusual for any skinless boneless sardines I've had in the past. And there seems to be more oil-to-fish than I'm used to, for roughly the same comparative net weight. A bit fishier in the aroma department as well, but not in a bad way. A sip of the EVOO is promising, though.

Let's Dig In

Surplus of oil aside, I decided to just dump the entire contents over rice. The fish were reluctant to just fall out. They were fused together and wedged in tight. Some say the fusion is an indication of previous freezing at some point during processing, but I find that unlikely with the skinless boneless variety. There appear to be 6 or 7 fish.

An initial bite is a tad dry, but the flavor is good. The extra oil is making up for the deficit of moisture, even though it really shouldn't have to. Continuing on, I'm finding the flavor more than satisfactory.

The carton notes "salt added" for some reason, probably more to do with Whole Foods customer expectations than necessity. They aren't all that salty, and the carton lists 400mg. sodium, which hovers around average.

As with the regular sardines, these are from Morocco. And, again, the carton makes no mention of California Prop65.

Overall, I don't regret my mistake in buying these. The price point makes them a reasonable alternative to the King Oscar, although I have found the Brunswick superior to these, and cheaper when purchased in quantity.

Main Takeaways

Good quality EVOO
Satisfactory flavor
A tad dry, but not a deal breaker

Brand: Whole Foods 365
Description: Skinless boneless sardines in EVOO
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $3

Brunswick Skinless Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

It occurred to me that it had been a long time since I had returned to where the journey started, with some skinless boneless sardines. Back then, I ordered King Oscar's by the case, usually consuming them as an evening snack with saltine crackers. This tin of Brunswick Skinless Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil was laying around in my stash, and I was moved to revisit this style of tinned fish. For old times' sake.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

There's that aroma, somewhere between sardine and tuna. The olive oil has a golden hue. There appear to be five fileted loins total.

Let's Eat

My recollection of these was that, although tender and meaty, they were a little bland. With sodium a little on the low side at 290mg, they weren't all that salty. Seemed like a good opportunity to investigate how they would taste with chili crisp.

I first became aware of the condiment chili crisp while watching a youtube sardine reviewer. It would also be from where I learned of Salsa Espinaler. For the purposes of this review, I chose a rather spicy version of chili crisp, Chuannan Chili Oil Crisp, which you can learn more about at the link.

I was concerned this bold version of chili crisp might overpower the sardine flavor. The one the youtube reviewer had was a far tamer brand called Lao Gan Ma. But I found the heightened spice level of the Chuannan complemented the fish and vice versa. And since chili crisps are often combined with rice, the three together made for a tasty, umami-filled experience.

Main Takeaways

Tasty sardines
Nostalgic flavor
Needed some spicing up

Brand: Brunswick
Description: Skinless boneless sardines in olive oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Wild Planet Skinless & Boneless Sardines

DeenLeave a comment

Trying these to round out my recent tastings of several Wild Planet cans. Officially described as Wild Planet Sardines Skinless & Boneless Fillets in EVOO. These are priced competitively with the King Oscar.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

We have four substantial pilchards in EVOO. There is no overt aroma of anything. Digging in, they are packed tight enough to make extracting a whole fillet impossible. The flavor is mild, kind of bland, and a bit on the dry side.

The taste of the oil is neutral, maybe a little bit peppery. I had hoped, being listed as organic EVOO, it might have brought more to the table. It also could have benefited by a pinch more salt.

To be honest, I have become reluctant to try to solve the shortcomings of bland fish by recurrently hitting them with dashes of Salsa Espinaler. In such cases, it often becomes all you can taste, sort of like putting cranberry sauce on white meat turkey.

Anyway, at $3 a can, these are decent enough. They might fare better included as a protein in a salad, where the fish, a dressing and other components can complement each other.

I am curious as to why, when Wild Planet can source these pilchards from Morocco, they choose to source their sardines with lemon as a Northwest Pacific species from Thailand.

Main Takeaways

Not our favorite boneless skinless pilchard
Unexpectedly bland
Cheap enough to consider using as an ingredient, rather than for consumption alone

See Wild Planet at Amazon.

Brand: Wild Planet
Description: Sardines skinless & boneless in EVOO
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $3

Mina Skinless Boneless Sardines in EVOO

DeenLeave a comment

I don't see these Mina Skinless Boneless Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil anywhere locally except one supermarket. There, they kind of stick out like a sore thumb among the multitude of cans of Beach Cliff and Chicken of the Sea. The store must not sell many, as I noted the best by date was only 18 months away. They were a little pricey, but I bought a can to try, anyway.

Interesting carton. The repeating graphic is four fish tail-to-tail. Gold leaf accents give an upscale touch.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.75/5.

There was enough headroom for maybe another fish in there. At 4.4 oz. listed weight, I expected a tightly-packed can. Clean aroma. A sip of the oil had a peppery note, which I attributed to the EVOO itself and considered a positive.

The ingredients list only the fish, EVOO and salt. Very tender fish with a nice mild flavor. Not dry. I ate them with no extras or add-ons. I found them comparable to King Oscar, except for the loose packing.

Main Takeaways

Might have been shorted a fish
Nice EVOO
King Oscar still our go-to for boneless skinless pilchards

See it at Amazon. About $3 per can in quantity there.

Brand: Mina/Casablanca Foods, Inc.
Description: Skinless & Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $4-5

Cento Skinless Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

I see these Cento Skinless Boneless Sardines in a lot of stores. I'm familiar with Cento mainly for their tomato products: crushed, San Marzano, sauce and paste. Their salt cured anchovies also seem quite ubiquitous. I've always been satisfied with their other products, so I decided to give these a try.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.2/5.

Four good-sized pilchards, fewer and larger than my preference. No aroma to speak of. The oil is clear, and neutral in taste. The meat is firm but a tad on the dry side, leading it to be a little bland. I also found some skin, a scale or two, and some spine in one of them. Not much information on the can other than "product of Morocco". No real surprise there.

They were a little over $3 at Whole Foods, but could probably be found for less elsewhere. As skinless & boneless pilchards go, I've been more satisfied with the King Oscar and the Brunswick in terms of taste, packing, processing cleanness and price.

Main Takeaways

Not the prettiest boneless skinless pilchards
Dry and bland
Competitors in price range do a better job

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Cento Fine Foods, Inc.
Description: Skinless & Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.375 oz.
Price Range: $3-4

Trader Joe’s Boneless Grilled Sardines

DeenLeave a comment

These sounded good, so I picked up a couple of cans. At only $2, the risk of disappointment was small. Fully described, they are Trader Joe's Wild Caught Boneless Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil. Whew...

Initial impression upon opening the can: Confused.

When I opened the can, I had to look at the lid to make sure I hadn't somehow bought mackerel. It smelled like sardines. And after tasting a bite, I still wasn't sure, The can says "Ingredients: sardine, olive oil, salt, natural flavor." and "Contains sardine." Yeah, but what species? It's not herring.

The can also says "Product of Tunisia", so I'm really at a loss to say what it is other than slices of a fish with some skin left on the back side and grill marks on the top. It wasn't really possible to determine if there were grill marks elsewhere than the top layer of fish, nor if they were real grill marks at all. I'll have to investigate further with the next can.

The fish does have the subtle taste I would associate with having seen some time on a back yard grill, but maybe less "char-grilled" and more "one that needs its grates cleaned". The "slightly smoky" on the lid is apt. The packing oil was neutral enough to not interfere. I think at $2 these warrant a re-buy, even if I don't know what fish this is. Sourced from Tunisia, I can only assume it's from the Mediterranean.

Follow Up

A revisit of these 10 days later revealed a troubling inconsistency. The "spent some time on a well-used back yard charcoal grill" flavor was absent, as was any evidence of seasoning, even saltiness. What wasn't absent were bones, albeit very fine and soft ones, but bones nonetheless. These are cheap enough to perhaps overlook the incongruity. Caveat emptor.

Third and Final Assessment

A week later: I think "spineless" is really what these are, as there are indeed some very fine rib bones that remain after processing. The back yard grill taste was there again, but I have to say, overall, I won't be revisiting these after I decide how to dispose of the two cans I have left. The $2 is better spent elsewhere.

Main Takeaways

Mystery fish species
Unappetizing grill flavor
Inconsistent, can to can

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Wild Caught Boneless(?) Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Unspecified
Country of Origin: Tunisia
Source: FAO37 Mediterranean Sea(?)
Skin/Bones: Yes/No(Maybe?)
Net Wt: 3.88 oz.
Price Range: $2