Venetian Sardines

Name: Venetian Sardines
Ingredients: Marinade; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/4 cups thinly sliced onions; 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 3 tablespoons raw sugar; 2 tablespoons raisins, chopped; 1 bay leaf; large pinch saffron; 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted; Sardines; 8 fresh sardines, cleaned, gutted & scaled; all-purpose flour; olive oil, for frying; salt; lemon wedges

15 ingredients

4 steps

Ingredients

Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced onions
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons raw sugar
2 tablespoons raisins, chopped
1 bay leaf
large pinch saffron
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Sardines
8 fresh sardines, cleaned, gutted & scaled
all-purpose flour
olive oil, for frying
salt
lemon wedges

Directions

1

Heat the oil in a sautee pan and cook the onions until they are soft and pale gold. Remove from heat and transfer to a large shallow bowl or pan.
2

Combine vinegar, sugar, raisins and bay leaf in a small saucepan and crumble in saffron. Heat over low flame, stirring until sugar is dissolved, reducing slightly. Pour over onions. Stir in pine nuts.
3

Wash and pat sardines dry, then salt and dust with flour. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large skillet and, when hot but not smoking, fry sardines until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Don't crowd pan; fry in batches if necessary.
4

Place the fried sardines into the marinade and spoon it over so they are well covered. The sardines can be eaten now, with lemon squeezed over, alongside a simple fennel salad and grilled white polenta. Or they can marinate in the refrigerator for a day or two and be served as part of a larger antipasti platter.