Italy is a Catholic country and on Good Friday most Italians eat fish. Maybe… sardines were once very plentiful around the island of Sardinia and it is thought that their name is likely to have originated from ancient times. It seems appropriate to have a recipe which reflects the of taste and fragrance of some of the cuisine of Palermo. Extra flavour with sachet of fennel seeds. The Muslims, were known as Moors by the Christians and by the time of the Crusades, Muslims were also referred to as Saracens. Prepare sardines: Scale, gut, butterfly and clean sardines and leave the tail. Season with pepper and set aside. Place the sardine down on its open stomach and press down to loosen the backbone. Top with remaining 12 sardines, skin-side up, and place a bay leaf between each sardine pair. Take the scissors and cut the belly open, starting at the opening where the head used to be and cutting down the length of its underside. I found very little wild fennel this time of year so I used fennel bulbs – there were a few available at the Queen Victoria Market. • SARDE A BECCAFICO (Sardines stuffed with currants, pine nuts, sugar and nutmeg) I like to top them with a little harissa when I do this (mixing of cultures here). PROCESSES Use a fork to beat the butter in a bowl until smooth and creamy. It can be removed when you also remove the boiled wild fennel. Is there anything more heavenly-sounding than that?
There are already two posts about this recipe: PASTA CON LE SARDE (Pasta with sardines, from Palermo, made with fennel, pine nuts and currants). Add the breadcrumbs, season lightly with salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are lightly toasted and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the fennel and chopped fronds and sauté them some more. It alters the taste and colour.
It alters the taste and colour.
sugar, 1 tablespoon
I use the paper that my fishmonger has wrapped the sardines to wipe dry the fish.
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/893/Sardines_a_beccafico_stuffed_with_currants_and_pine_nuts, I have reproduced a photo of Sean Connolly from the web, therefore I will acknowledge it. Triestine pesse is mostly made with sardines and is often eaten with white polenta (yellow polenta is usually an accompaniment to meat). Pasta con le Sarde is made with bucatini (thick long tubes of pasta) and the main ingredients are sardines (buy fillets for ease), wild fennel (or fennel bulbs) pine nuts, saffron and topped by fried breadcrumbs. Some places like to put the tomato sauce on top of the other ingredients to keep the crust from becoming flat and gooey. Mix the pasta with the sauce, sprinkle with some of the breadcrumbs and top with the sardine fillets. Open the sardines, drain the olive oil into a frying pan and set the sardines aside. Take off heat and cool. The dish is named after a peculiar and prized species of bird, the beccafico. This recipe for pasta with sardines is our version of a traditional Sicilian dish, and a regional variation on a similar recipe from nearby Calabria: Spaghetti with Breadcrumbs and Anchovies. Mix all the ingredients together to form a stuffing, Place a small amount of stuffing over each sardine fillet. I prefer to use cleaned whole sardines when I bake them. Sometimes we forget how something so quickly and simply made can really enhance a dish. All rights reserved. While in South Australia I ate and drank very well in a number of restaurants, most had unusual combinations of excellent South Australian produce, others like Skillogalee Winery Restaurant in the Clare Valley had simple fare, more conventional and perfectly geared to the wide range of people who visit wineries and can enjoy a relaxing afternoon. Add the fennel and cook till slightly softened. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Valeria Necchio is an Italian food writer and photographer with roots in the Venetian countryside. Scatter 2 tbsp breadcrumbs over the base of a lined oven tray.
You will need a plate to serve it. Place flour in a bowl. anchovy fillets, 5-8 finely, cut finely 1 cup of pine nuts, toasted Bake whole sardines 200°C for 25-30. Place them into salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes – you can leave the fennel in water as long as you like. It was filmed in 35mm and transferred to video – it is an allegorical account of the hazardous sea journeys of North African illegal immigrants who often wash up dead on the shores of Sicily. Add your sardines 1-2 at a time and shake to coat well. Red or brown miso can also be used. The Muslim Arabs, via North Africa ruled Sicily till 1061 A.D. Fry the sardines in a little extra virgin olive oil – they will cook very quickly and begin to break up. Add the sliced sardines, salt and pepper or chili. A beccafico is a small bird, which feeds on ripe figs – becca (peck) and fico (fig). extra virgin olive oil, ¾ cup. When the oil is ready, place as many sardines that will fit in the frying pan in a single layer, without over filling. You will also need some breadcrumbs (made from good quality day- old bread) toasted in a pan with a little oil.
That is if this bird still exists in Sicily – Italians fancy themselves as great hunters (cacciatori). The fish is first fried in olive oil and then marinaded in the vinegar base.
Return the sardines to the pan to coat them in the sauce and to reheat.