Sardinillas - Small Tinned Sardines

• Each 115g tin holds a row of small whole sardines, cooked and packed in olive oil with a little salt
• Put them on a cracker or a slice of garlic toast with a strip of piquillo pepper
• One tin is a snack for one, or tapas for two with bread and a glass of something cold

Sardinillas are sardines caught young and small, wild off the coast of Spain and netted, then cooked and tinned whole in olive oil. The Spanish give them a diminutive, which tells you most of what you need to know: these are the little ones, a mouthful each, and in Spain they are put out with drinks rather than kept for emergencies.

There are bones, and you're meant to eat them; they're so soft after cooking you won't notice (and they're where the calcium lives). Sardines are also one of the richest sources of omega-3 you can buy in a tin, and since this one lives in the cupboard, it's worth keeping a couple in.

If you'd rather have bigger fish, our Ortiz sardines in olive oil come in a 140g tin.