Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Prepare the tomato base
Finely dice the onion. Coarsely grate the tomatoes into a bowl; discard the skins left in your hand. Divide the garlic into two equal portions. Rinse the preserved lemon and chop only its zest.
Cook the thick sauce
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or tagine over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6 minutes, until softened and lightly golden around the edges. Add half of the garlic, 2 g paprika, 1 g cumin, and the tomato paste; stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, water, and 2 g salt. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
Shape the sardine balls
Pat the sardine fillets dry and chop them very finely with a knife. In a bowl, combine them with the remaining garlic, 20 g coriander, 15 g parsley, 4 g paprika, 3 g cumin, 4 g salt, the black pepper, and the breadcrumbs. Mix, leave to stand for 3 minutes, then shape into 20 balls about 3 cm in diameter.
Finish cooking the balls in the sauce
Arrange the balls in a single layer in the gently simmering sauce. Partially cover the pan and cook for 10 to 12 minutes over low to medium-low heat. After 6 minutes, carefully turn them over so they do not fall apart. When cooked through, the fish should be opaque and reach 63°C in the center.
Finish and serve
Stir the chopped preserved lemon zest, remaining 10 g coriander, 5 g parsley, and lemon juice into the sauce. Taste and check that the sauce has a pronounced tomato flavor with a bright acidic finish. Briefly warm the dairy-free bread in a dry skillet and serve with the balls and sauce.
