Lumpiang Sardinas
Lumpiang Sardinas or lumpia sardine is a Filipino fried spring roll filled with a mixture of canned sardines, carrot, onion, garlic, spring onion, malungay leaves, all purpose flour, egg seasoned with pepper and salt. It can also be described as sardine roll since the sardines are turned into a nice smooth filling, wrapped in lumpia wrapper and fried. It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is best enjoyed with a dipping sauce made from the original sauce of the sardines. It can be eaten as a snack or in a meal with rice.
LUMPIANG SARDINAS
The first time I did lumpiang sardinas was we had a lot of stocked canned sardines which were needed to be consumed before it expires. We usually eat sautéed canned sardines with rice. But since we have a lot of sardines supply, I needed to make something out of the sardines which will make people eat a lot of it.
Filipinos are known to have a special love for different types of lumpia. A lumpia is handy, easy-to-eat and really delicious. This gave me the idea of making lumpiang sardinas. With the sardines stock, I made a lot of lumpiang sardinas. My family and I enjoyed it and it’s definitely worth a try.
HOW TO MAKE LUMPIANG SARDINAS
Canned sardines is one of the readily available canned fish in the market which is low-cost and tasty. The goal of this recipe is to utilize canned sardines and transform it in a more appealing and fancier dish. The two important parts in making your lumpiang sardinas is the lumpia and the dipping sauce. First, choose your sardines. There are a lot of choices in the market. For this recipe, it is advisable to use canned sardines in tomato sauce since the tomato sauce will also be used. Choose a non-spicy sardine or a spicy one based on what you like.
Open your cans of sardines. Separate the sardines and the tomato sauce and place in separate bowls. You will use the sardines as the lumpia filling and the tomato sauce as the base for the dipping sauce. Get a large mixing bowl and transfer the drained sardines. Break or mash the sardines into small pieces. You can use a fork in this process since the sardines are soft and tender.
When done, you may add your prepared chopped vegetables. In this recipe, I used different vegetables with different colors and texture to create a more appetizing look for the filling. You could also add other vegetable of your preference. Make sure to finely chop it into small pieces. Add the all-purpose flour and the egg. Mix the sardine well and season with salt and pepper. Be wary on adding salt since the sardines are already salty.
When the filling is ready, grab a lumpia wrapper and lay it on a flat, clean surface. Place some sardine filling on the lumpia wrapper. You may add some filling enhancements like a strip of cheese if you like. Start to roll and wrap. The sardine filling is soft so be careful on rolling the lumpia. A tip is to place filling on the near edge of the lumpia wrapper close to you. Do a first roll and then close the sides by wrapping them inward and then continue rolling. In this technique, you can roll the lumpia wrapper with the sardine filling clean.
To seal the lumpia wrapper, brush some water or egg white before you fully close the lumpia. The water or the egg white will make the lumpia wrapper stick on itself, fully sealing the lumpia sardine. Heat some oil in a pan under medium heat. Shallow-fry the lumpia sardine in batches. Roll the lumpia pieces in oil to ensure that all sides are cooked. The lumpia sardine is fully cooked once golden brown. Transfer the cooked lumpia pieces in a strainer or on a tissue paper to drain the excess oil.
Time to prepare the dipping sauce. Strain the reserved tomato sauce to remove bits of scales and small fish bits. Heat the tomato sauce in a pan. Add some water and calamansi juice. Stir the sauce to blend. Let it boil and reduce some liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Stir continuously to prevent the bottom from burning. Prepare the cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 3 tablespoons of water. Dissolve the cornstarch. The slurry will thicken the sauce as it cooks. Gradually add the cornstarch slurry into the sauce until you reach the desired consistency. Remove from the heat and transfer the sauce into a serving bowl. Serve the lumpia sardine with the dipping sauce.