Sunday, December 28
Sardines that Want to Fly
Sarde a Beccafico
Sardines are little fishes that I've learned to love since i was young. We used to eat this little humble fish in any way possible; with fennel, with tomato sauce, with oranges, etc. Sardines ("sarde" in Italian) is typical staple food from Sicily, but in NY, fresh ones can be hard to find. This winter though, we had the pleasant surprise to found fresh sardines at Wild By Nature and we've decided to give this rarity the respect it deserved by making these fishes into a real wholesome dish: Sarde a beccafico.
Sarde a beccafico is fresh stuffed sardines in a raisin-saffron-orange concoction, decorated to resemble these little birds by the same name (beccafico).
Sardines are quite delicate to handle and to clean. If they are not truly fresh, their skin will begin to decompose quickly. The best thing to do is to put these fishes in some ice in the refrigerator, until you are ready to clean them and stuff them (within 4 days!).
Here is the recipe...Ingredients:
1. Hyper-Fresh Sardines. You will need to carefully clean them, remove their head and the main back bone. But leave them their tail!
2. Oranges sliced in circle (2 slices for 12 sardines). Almond powder (or crushed almonds). toasted bread crumbs, garlic, raisins, saffron, olive oil, fresh parsley, a few chopped baby brown mushrooms, salt (powder, and rock) pepper and bay leaves.
-Turn on oven to 350F.-Sprinkle rock salt on the skin of the sardines and put them carefully skin side down on a plate.
-Soak the raisins with a bit of saffron in some sweet wine. (or add sugar to a table red wine)
-Sautee the bread crumbs (about 2 cups per 12 sardines) with the garlic a bit of oil and almonds. Sautee the mushrooms separately .
when toasted (about 10 min?) put all in a bowl to cool.
-Mix the raisins and fresh chopped parsley in the breadcrumb bowl, add salt , pepper.
-Stuff the sardines start opposite of the tail with the mixture (leave a bit for the end) roll up leaving the tail sticking up.
-Put the rolled up sardines with one bay leave and one slice of orange on the sides (this will help keep it in place.) in a shallow pan
-Continue until your pan is filled with the little sardines.
-Sprinkle the juice of one orange on top of the rolled up sardines, sprinkle the leftover breadcrumbs and a tiny bit of rock salt
-Bake for about 35 min.
-Eat at room temperature, or cold with bread!.
Astrid at 2:32 PM
