Sarde in Saor
Crisp fried fresh sardines layered with sweet, slow-cooked onions, white wine vinegar, sultanas and pine nuts. A quintessential Venetian sweet-and-sour classic traditionally prepared well in advance.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •Wide frying pan
- •Deep ceramic or glass dish
- •Slotted spoon
- •Kitchen paper
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 30 g
- carbs
- 26 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 28 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pat the butterflied sardines dry with kitchen paper and season lightly with fine sea salt.
- 2
Heat the neutral frying oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- 3
Dredge the sardines lightly in plain flour, shaking off any excess thoroughly.
- 4
Fry the sardines in batches for one to two minutes on each side until crisp and pale golden.
- 5
Transfer the fried sardines to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
- 6
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a separate wide pan over gentle heat.
- 7
Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt, cooking slowly for twenty minutes until completely softened and translucent without browning.
- 8
Pour the white wine and white wine vinegar into the softened onions and simmer for three minutes until the sharp fumes subside.
- 9
Stir the soaked sultanas, toasted pine nuts, and crushed black peppercorns into the warm onion mixture.
- 10
Spread a layer of the warm onion mixture over the bottom of a deep ceramic or glass dish.
- 11
Arrange a single layer of fried sardines over the onions, then cover with more onions.
- 12
Repeat the layering until all sardines and onions are used, finishing with a generous layer of onions, then cool, cover, and refrigerate for at least twenty-four hours before serving.
Chef's tips
Do not rush the onions; they must stew very gently until soft and sweet rather than caramelised or browned. This dish must rest in the refrigerator for at least 24 to 48 hours for the vinegar and fish flavours to marry properly. Always serve at cool room temperature rather than straight from the fridge.
Ingredient substitutions
- fresh sardines → fresh anchovies or small mackerel fillets, though cooking times will vary slightly
- plain flour → fine rice flour or cornstarch for a gluten-free crisp coating
Storage
Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, ensuring the fish remains submerged in the onion marinade.
Reheating
Do not reheat; bring to cool room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Browning the onions, which turns them bitter instead of delicately sweet and translucent.
- •Serving the dish immediately; it tastes sharp and unbalanced without at least twenty-four hours of marination.
- •Serving the fish straight from the fridge, which mutes the delicate sweet-sour balance.
Serving suggestions
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