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Fish, South and mountains

Niçoise stuffed sardines with green salad

Niçoise stuffed sardines are a fish dish for 4 people, ready in 1 hour, medium difficulty, for about €3.50 per person. Fresh sardines, opened butterfly style, sandwich a filling of chard, eggs, and parmesan, then bake under a breadcrumb crust. The key to success is squeezing the chard dry so the filling stays thick.

Tonight I'm making you Niçoise stuffed sardines, nice and golden, with a salad on the side for freshness.

Niçoise stuffed sardines with green salad
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
360 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall

Fresh sardines have a firm flesh that holds up well in the oven, especially once they're wrapped around a generous filling. The mix of chard, eggs, and parmesan keeps the inside soft, while the golden breadcrumbs on top give the crunch that makes this dish so satisfying. A squeeze of lemon right out of the oven brightens everything without covering up the sardine flavor.

This is a southern French dish that takes a bit of kitchen time, great for a Sunday when you feel like cooking for real without going overboard. It works best for a dinner among adults or with kids who already enjoy fish, served alongside a green salad that brings the freshness the gratin needs.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Fresh sardines, butterflied 12

Fruits and vegetables

  • Swiss chard 300 g
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Lemon 1
  • Green salad 1

Dairy

  • Egg 2
  • Grated parmesan 50 g

Pantry

  • Breadcrumbsoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish, Eggs, Lactose, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Blanch the chard leaves for 3 minutes, drain, squeeze them dry, and chop finely with the garlic. 5 min

    Save the stalks for a gratin another night, only the leaves are used here.

  2. Mix the chard with the eggs, parmesan, and half the breadcrumbs to make a thick filling.

    Taste the raw filling, the parmesan is quite salty so you'll barely need extra salt.

  3. Open the sardines flat, spread filling over half of them, and close with the remaining sardines sandwich style.

    Ask your fishmonger to butterfly them and remove the bone, it saves ten minutes.

  4. Arrange them in an oiled baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 200 degrees. 20 min

    The breadcrumbs should turn golden, broil for 2 minutes at the end if needed.

  5. Dress the salad with a drizzle of oil, lemon juice, and serve alongside the sardines.

    Squeeze lemon over the sardines right out of the oven, it brightens everything up.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick sardines of even, medium size, they cook more evenly and close up better into a sandwich shape.
  • Make the filling ahead and chill it for an hour, it holds together even better when you stuff the sardines.
  • Oil the baking dish generously, stuffed sardines tend to stick because of the parmesan that melts during cooking.

The variations

  • Swap the chard for fresh spinach, the flavor is milder and prep is faster since spinach wilts in about a minute.
  • For a fish free version, fill large raw chard leaves with the same mixture, roll them up, and bake in an oiled dish.
  • For a quicker version, just stuff the opened sardines without closing them sandwich style, they'll bake a bit faster too.

What to serve it with

  • Plain white rice
  • Steamed potatoes
  • A chilled rosé

Storage

Keep the cooked stuffed sardines in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Freezing isn't recommended, the filling's texture would suffer. Reheat gently in the oven to keep the breadcrumb topping crisp.

Questions about this dish

Can the fishmonger prepare the sardines for me?

Yes, ask them to butterfly the sardines and remove the center bone. That saves you about ten minutes of prep at home.

Can chard be replaced with another leafy green?

Spinach works very well and cooks faster than chard. Squeeze it out thoroughly too, otherwise the filling turns watery.

Can the filling be made a day ahead?

Yes, it keeps overnight in the fridge in a sealed container. It's actually easier to work with once it's been chilled.

How do you know the sardines are cooked through?

The flesh should turn opaque and the breadcrumbs golden on top. If the topping isn't brown enough after 20 minutes, slide the dish under the broiler for 2 more minutes.

How long does it take to make Niçoise stuffed sardines with a green salad?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in Niçoise stuffed sardines with a green salad?

About 360 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Niçoise stuffed sardines with a green salad cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, eggs, lactose, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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