Braised Sardines and Tomatoes

Oyster Sauce, Lemon, and Rice

Chef Hak Lonh of Gamboge | Los Angeles
Yield: 1 to 2 servings

When he was a kid, Chef Hak Lonh’s parents would warm up Goya’s canned sardines in tomato sauce and eat it with a baguette. Lonh pays homage to that humble, wholesome meal at his Cambodian restaurant, Gamboge, by utilizing fresh grape tomatoes instead. Cooked down with onion, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, and paprika, the tomatoes are stewed with canned sardines and finished off with some lemon. A crispy bolillo from Pacific French Bakery captures the essential airiness of the French baguettes found at Southeast Asian bakeries. Bridging Lonh’s past and present, the braised sardines and tomato dish speaks to the cross-cultural population of the Lincoln Heights neighborhood.

Adapted by StarChefs | June 2021

INGREDIENTS:

Braised Tomatoes and Sardines:
1 teaspoon neutral oil 
½ red onion, sliced medium-thick
1 tablespoon minced garlic 
16 ounces grape tomatoes, halved 
½ teaspoon sea salt 
½ teaspoon black pepper 
½ teaspoon oyster sauce 
1 teaspoon sugar 
½ teaspoon paprika 
1 can sardines packed in olive oil, halved vertically along seams  

To Assemble and Serve:
Juice of ½ lemon
Baguette or rice

METHOD:

For the Braised Sardines and Tomatoes:
In a medium fry pan over medium-high flame, heat oil. Add red onion and sweat, stirring frequently until the pieces become translucent. Add garlic and tomatoes and stir. Then add sea salt and pepper. When tomatoes start to break down, add oyster sauce, sugar, and paprika. Next, add ½ cup of water and mix well. Add oil from the sardine can, stir, and bring contents to a light simmer. Fold sardines into tomato mixture without breaking them up. Simmer for 5 minutes, adding more water if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

To Assemble and Serve:
Finish with lemon and serve with baguette or rice.

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