There are tins of sardines in tomato sauce in every well-stocked campervan and every sensible kitchen. They're cheap, they keep forever, and they're considerably more useful than most people give them credit for. This sardine skillet recipe is proof of that.

It's a loose interpretation of the Turkish and Middle Eastern tradition of baking eggs into a spiced tomato and vegetable base — think shakshuka, but with sardines doing the heavy lifting instead of relying entirely on the eggs. The result is deeply savoury, warmly spiced and substantial enough to qualify as a proper brunch rather than something you've thrown together from what's left in the fridge. Which is, of course, exactly what it is.

I cook this at Casa Adora when I want something quick and satisfying without much effort. I've also made it in the van — one pan, one ring, twenty minutes. It travels well in every sense.

Ingredients for Sardine Skillet recipe

(serves 2)

• 1 tin sardines in tomato sauce
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small red or green pepper, diced
• ½ small courgette, diced
• A handful of cabbage, roughly shredded
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• A pinch of dried red chilli flakes
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• A splash of olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 eggs
• Fresh parsley or coriander to finish

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to colour — about 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for one minute.
3. Add the pepper, courgette and cabbage. Stir to coat in the oil and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and smoked paprika. Stir through and cook for a further 5 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down into a loose sauce.
5. Open the tin of sardines and tip the contents — fish and sauce together — into the pan. Break the sardines up gently with a spoon, leaving some texture. Stir through and season to taste.
6. Make two wells in the mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cover the pan with a lid or a piece of foil and cook over a low heat for 4–5 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft.
7. Scatter with fresh parsley or coriander and serve straight from the pan with good bread.

Footnote This sardine skillet recipe is part of my Fish Recipes collection — the complete guide to fish and seafood dishes from The Flexible Chef. Explore the full Fish Recipes hub.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef