Life & Style | Food
Stuffed, fried or grilled
Sardines make great starters and main dishes. Here are two easy-to-make recipes with little-known tips
- By Dean Gold, Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service
- Published: 23:25 July 3, 2009
Fresh sardines, a nice olive oil and quick cooking are the keys to sarde arrosto, a super-simple starter. This griddle-roasted fish dish is on the menu at Dino's in Washington.
Your first batch probably will come out a little shredded, so practice before you make this for guests.
The sardines should have clear eyes and smell briny, not fishy. Refrigerate them on top of ice cubes in a colander with a drip bowl underneath if you need to keep them overnight.
It's best to cook the sardines in batches. You cannot cook too many at once, as it takes time and patience to flip each fish. Keep some breadcrumbs handy to sop up any juices.
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole sardines, fresh (preferably Portuguese or Moroccan)
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil and more to coat the fish and the pan, as needed
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- Juice from 1 or 2 lemons (1/4 cup) and more, as needed
- 1/2 large bulb fennel (cored and outer layers discarded), shredded
- Coarse salt, for sprinkling
Use the sharp edge of a utility knife to scale the sardines by rubbing them from tail to head without cutting into the meat.
Run the tip of the knife from the tail to the base of the head to open up the cavity; remove and discard the guts.
Rinse well and pat dry. It's best to leave the sardines with their heads on; that will keep the fish flavourful and moist as it cooks.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over a high flame. The cooking surface must be very hot, so that the sardines crisp and roast at once.
Season the cleaned sardines with salt and pepper to taste. Working in two batches, coat the sardines well with oil and place in the hot skillet or grill pan. Sear for two to three minutes, letting the skin crisp a bit.
Carefully work a spatula under the fish, keeping the skin intact and turn it over. You may need to hold the fish in place with a second spatula while sliding the first one underneath it. If the pan is hot enough and the skin crisp, there will be no sticking.
Cook for a minute or two on the other side. If you feel resistance as you try to turn the sardines and the skin starts to tear, leave the fish on the pan for a few more seconds.
Don't move the fish around or turn it more than once; add oil to the skillet or pan as needed.
When the sardines are done, transfer them to a serving plate and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Heat a small skillet (not non-stick) over a high flame. When it is hot, add one fourth cup olive oil and the fennel.
Cook for five to six minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a few drops of lemon juice.
Cook for six to eight minutes, until the juice has evaporated and the fennel has turned golden; if you used one fourth cup of oil, you may add more at this point.
Season lightly with salt and pepper; taste and add lemon juice as needed.
The fennel should be a little tart to balance the oil of the sardine.
Top each portion of the sardines with a tablespoon or two of the cooked fennel. Sprinkle with a little bit of coarse salt and serve immediately.
To eat, run a dinner knife under the flesh, starting at the tail. The fillet will come off the bone almost by itself.
If it doesn't, use your finger to lift the bone from the bottom fillet, holding it down with a knife.
Servings: 4
Nutrition per serving: 393 calories, 19g protein, 3g carbohydrates, 34g fat, 6g saturated fat, 87mg cholesterol, 271mg sodium, 1g dietary fibre, 0g sugar.
Stuffed sardines
The sardines stay moist and tender, lending their juices to the mixture of parsley, tomatoes and breadcrumbs inside.
- 2-1/2 cups flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup garlic, minced
- 4 tbs breadcrumbs, plain, dried
- 3 cups plum tomatoes, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 pounds fresh sardines, cleaned (see Note)
- 1/2 cup juice of 2 to 3 lemons
- 4 to 5 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350ºC degrees. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the sardines in a single layer.
Combine two cups of parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs and a cup of the tomatoes in a medium mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle the sardines, inside and out, with lemon juice and a little salt. Spread a spoonful of the parsley mixture evenly inside each sardine. Place the fish side by side in the prepared baking dish, laying them on their sides.
Drizzle with the oil to taste and top evenly with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the sardines are tender and the tomatoes have softened.
Divide among individual plates, including any pan juices. Serve hot.
Note: To clean the sardines, cut off the heads and discard. Gut the insides, removing all bones.
Cut open, making sure the fish remain partially attached in the centre.
Servings: 4 to 6
Nutrition per serving (based on 6 pieces): 423 calories, 27g protein, 10g carbohydrates, 31g fat, 6g saturated fat, 116mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 2g dietary fibre, 3g sugar.
(Adapted from The Glorious Foods of Greece, by Diane Kochilas.)
— By Diane Kochilas/Los Angeles Times-Washington Post
News Service
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