I recently found myself in a situation of looking at a small list of lunch sandwich choices and having a friend ask me what he should pick. The list featured the usual: Ham, cheese, tuna. And then: Sardine.

My very good-natured friend, the author Alek Popov (read his hilarious novel “Mission London” if you haven’t), listened to my advice — the sardine, of course. For Alek, this new sardine adventure turned out to be a lunch so horrid I wouldn’t hear the end of it at dinner that evening.

For those who didn’t grow up eating sardine sandwiches like I did, I suppose the experience could be a little jarring — it’s intensely fishy, mushy and well, those two sensory things may not be what many seek in a lunch. For me, however, sardines are heaven. I love eating them in sandwiches, in puff pastry buns, on their own. (Not that I broadcast this information — I’ve learned my lesson since my last public show of sardine love.)

So when my Let’s Lunch group decided on making a dish featuring a secret food love — an item you’re so ashamed of eating you don’t talk about it much — sardines came to mind. What to make with it? A Singaporean classic …

Now, my fond memories of sardine sandwiches largely revolve around buying them from my primary school tuckshop — that’s “elementary school canteen” in American-speak —  in Singapore. The sandwich auntie would usually have these pre-made, nicely stacked up in glass-covered shelving at her narrow stall.

As much as I enjoyed these sandwiches now and then, it wasn’t until many years later, when I found myself in the United States, that I actually made my first one. And it turns out, they’re super easy to make. You just take a can of sardines in tomato sauce and mash that up with a bunch of ingredients: Minced shallots, chili powder, chili sauce, ketchup and more.

My dear friend chef Simpson Wong, who’s from Malaysia and knows sardine sandwiches well, once told me he adds a little sesame oil to his sardine mixes — the toasty nutty oil helps to cut the fishy taste a little. So that’s what I now put in mine.

Once that’s all mixed up — there you have it. This is ready to be slapped on buttered bread — white, if you’re in Singapore.

Now, this may not look like the most appetizing dish — and believe me, I’m certainly wary of recommending sardine sandwiches to anyone these days. But for this Singaporean transplant, it always hits the spot.

So here’s the recipe, give it a whirl, but remember now — this is our little secret.

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Don’t forget to check out other Let’s Lunchers’ secret food love dishes below! And if you’d like to join Let’s Lunch, go to Twitter and post a message with the hashtag #Letslunch — or, post a comment below.  

Betty Ann‘s Adobo Eggs at Asian in America

Karen‘s Goldfish-Inspired Cheese Sables at GeoFooding

Linda‘s Pinakbet (Filipino Vegetable Stew) at Spicebox Travels

Lisa‘s Potato Cakes at Monday Morning Cooking Club

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Singaporean Sardine Sandwiches

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients: