Crostini Sardines Lemon Herbs

# What You Need:

→ Bread

01 - 1 baguette, sliced into 8 thin rounds

02 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Topping

03 - 1 tin (3.5 ounces) high-quality sardines in olive oil, drained

04 - Zest of 1 lemon

05 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

06 - 1 small garlic clove, peeled

07 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

09 - Flaky sea salt, to taste

→ Garnish

10 - Additional parsley leaves

11 - Extra lemon wedges, optional

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides lightly with olive oil.

02 - Toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.

03 - While bread is still warm, gently rub one side of each slice with the garlic clove. Discard remaining garlic.

04 - Lay drained sardines evenly over the crostini, breaking larger fillets if needed.

05 - Drizzle each crostini with lemon juice, then sprinkle with lemon zest and chopped parsley.

06 - Season with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Garnish with additional parsley and serve with lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -

They come together in 20 minutes, which means you can actually make them on a weeknight without stress.
That bright lemon cuts through the rich sardines in a way that makes your mouth wake up.
Your guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen, but it's honestly just good bread and good timing.

02 -

Don't skip the step of rubbing warm bread with garlic—cold bread won't pick up the flavor, and that garlic base is quietly essential to the whole thing working.
Draining the sardine tin completely changes the texture of the finished crostini; if you leave too much oil on them, they become heavy instead of bright and balanced.

03 -