Sarde a Beccafico
Butterflied fresh sardines rolled with a sweet and savoury filling of toasted breadcrumbs, raisins, pine nuts, and citrus, baked until golden.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 420 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking dish
- •Frying pan
- •Mixing bowl
- •Chef's knife
- •Citrus juicer
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 22 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 28 g
- calories
- 420 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Soak the sultanas in warm water for 10 minutes, then squeeze completely dry.
- 2
Warm 15ml of olive oil in a pan and stir in the chopped anchovies until they dissolve.
- 3
Add the breadcrumbs to the pan and toast over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown.
- 4
Transfer the toasted breadcrumbs to a bowl and mix with sultanas, pine nuts, parsley, sugar, orange zest, and a pinch of salt.
- 5
Lay the butterflied sardines skin-side down on a clean board and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- 6
Place a spoonful of breadcrumb stuffing onto each sardine and roll from the wide head end towards the tail.
- 7
Grease a baking dish with olive oil and tightly arrange the rolled sardines with their tails sticking upward.
- 8
Slot fresh bay leaves and thin orange slices between each rolled sardine in the dish.
- 9
Whisk the remaining 30ml olive oil, orange juice, and lemon juice together, then drizzle evenly over the sardines.
- 10
Scatter any leftover breadcrumbs on top and bake at 190 degrees C for 15 to 20 minutes until sizzling and lightly browned.
Chef's tips
Leave the tail fin on each sardine when cleaning, as rolling from head to tail creates the traditional bird-like silhouette. Pack the rolls tightly in the dish so they hold their shape without toothpicks while baking. The dish tastes even better when left to rest for 15 minutes before eating.
Ingredient substitutions
- fresh sardines → fresh small mackerel or anchovies, butterflied
- salted anchovy fillets → a small pinch of fine sea salt for a milder flavour
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in an oven preheated to 160 degrees C for 8 minutes, or enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Removing the tail fins during preparation, which loses the classic beccafico presentation.
- •Overcooking the sardines, making them dry and tough instead of moist and tender.
- •Over-toasting the breadcrumbs in the frying pan before baking, which causes them to scorch in the oven.
Serving suggestions
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