sardines...fortunately not canned.

when we arrived in portugal by train across the spanish border, my dad started talking about sardines. apparently they were supposed to be exceptional in portugal. i, however, had my doubts as the only sardines i had ever seen (although i'll admit, never tasted) were canned with a little pull top and a whole lot of tomato sauce.

so, as i branched off from the crew and continued on to lisbon by myself, in the back of my mind sat the sardines. there was something that said i must try them, despite the internal turmoil that suggested doing so went against all natural instincts. it took two nights before i pulled up my boots and set out on a mission to complete the pending gastronomical task. as i walked past numerous restaraunts serving tasty delights i continued on to the water's edge. and as i sat down in a plastic chair under a large sun umbrella i asked for the sardines even though i knew that there was a very good chance i would take one bite and have to fill up on wine and bread leaving the plate largely untouched.

the sardines took a while to make their entrance and so i hung out with two glasses of local red wine and some sheep's cheese until they made their debut. maybe the sardines were waiting for me to get a bit tipsy so that they could take advantage of me, regardless, when they arrived there were five of them. they were much larger than the typical canned variety and they sported grill marks and large crystals of sea salt that implied "bbqed". they smelt good.

i gingerly took up my fork and knife and peeled back the skin on one to access the fleshy tail. i plucked some of the fresh flesh and put it in my mouth. i was braced for the worst, and yet, it was surprisingly good. i took another bite. even more delicious! and as i continued to work my way through each little fish i came to believe that it was one of the best cuisines i've ever had throughout my life time. utterly exquisite! now let's get this straight, i don't think i'll be ordering sardines at home or buying the little cans any time soon, but for a night out in lisbon, sitting on the doorstep of the ocean drinking local wine, these sardines were superb.