Fish of the week 31 - the superb sardine

Cornish sardines are here!

The Cornish season has just started...

for that iconic summer fish...

not to be confused with its near relative, the herring!

Sardine History

For several hundred years, the fishermen of Cornwall made and lost fortunes fishing for pilchards - also known as sardines...

Historically, almost all the Cornish pilchards caught were salted down, pressed and exported to Italy in wooden casks - the oil extracted was used for all sorts of purposes - and is today the main ingredient of WD40 - the ubiquity of this fish even extends to preserving human kind as an old Cornish poem embraces, 

Here’s a health to the Pope, 

And may he repent, 

And lengthen by six months 

The term of his Lent. 

It’s always declared Betwixt the two poles, 

There’s nothing like pilchards 

For saving of souls...

and this re-worked sea shanty, based on the poem, tells the full story of pilchards from the Choir Community of this important fish in song...

The fishery virtually died out in the 1950s, then, just a handful of boats fished for pilchards in the 60s and 70s, until the late 1990s, when Cadgwith fisherman Martin Ellis teamed up with Newlyn Fish merchant Nick Howell who owned British Cured Pilchards, the last remaining pilchard pressing factory in the UK to re-introduce pilchard fishing. 

Photo courtesy of the FISH Trust.

Martin, using an old ring net from the Mousehole boat Renovelle, spent several seasons exploring the abundant shoals of pilchards in an d around Mounts bay that had remained un-fished for 40 years...

unfortunately, for reasons beautifully documented in Jed Trewin's film, Troubled Waters it was left to others to successfully develop the fishery in the early 2000s.  

Under Nick Howell's visionary management, British Cured Pilchards re-invented itself as a working museum but it wasn't until Nick hit on the idea of re-branding the humble pilchard as the sardine after realising that pilchards, which had such a negative image in this country with people most strongly associating them with tinned pilchards in tomato sauce.

Photo courtesy of the FISH Trust

Most of these were produced by a small factory, Cornwall Canners in Newlyn for Shippams...

Photo courtesy of the FISH Trust

which can be seen - the white building that is now home to Trelawney Fish - in the background of this image of fishermen cleaning their drift nets of pilchards.

Eventually, the idea of Cornish Sardines was born but it took several years and a huge amount of work in the background before sufficient stock evidence was gathered for the MSC to give their coveted MSC Certification, along with European Protected Geographical Indication and the Cornish Sardine was born.

To manage the fishery sustainably into the future, the Cornish Sardine Management Association was formed in 2010 and to this day oversees fleet of less than 20 boats from Newlyn to Plymouth fishing with ring nets.

Eating sardines

As with all oily fish, grilling over charcoal is the simplest and most fun way to cook sardines - they take only minutes, the flesh falls easily away from the bones and the taste is to die for - a squeeze of lemon or drizzle of a simple herb infused olive oil is all that is needed to keep family and friends in good spirits around the BBQ...

alternatively, when the weather is not so predictable this versatile fish can provide mouthwatering variants like sarde in saor, a traditional Venitian sardine dish...

which, if you get the chance, head for the intimate atmosphere of the Sallotto di San Marco overlooking a bridge and canal - from where you can pick up a gondola before or after you dine - and admire some incredible Murano glass loudspeakers and overhead lights...

Catching sardines

Buying sardines

at this time of year, just as the sardine season starts and boats from the local fleet head out on the hunt for newly arrived shoals, local restaurants like Argoe and Bruce Rennie's The Shore in Penzance all have sardines on their menus once the season is underway - as do many other pubs and restaurants in cornwall....

and much further afield where the wait is finally over and being celebrated in the capital by our super-supportive fishmongers!

Of course,, if you're stuck for a local wetfish shop in your are anyone serious about tracking down fresh sardines should keep an eye on Morrisons and other supermarkets as the season goes full on - but make sure to check the label to see that they are MSC Certified Cornish Sardines and not imposters!

For wholesale supplies a good place to start is the Cornwall Sardine Management Association website where you can find out all you need to know about this superb fish.