Sweet-and-Sour Sardines
Delight your taste buds with this savory and flavorful Italian-inspired dish featuring tender sardines cooked to perfection. The combination of sweet golden raisins, crunchy pine nuts, and a tangy white wine vinegar sauce infused with caramelized onions creates a harmonious medley of flavors that will transport you to the coastal shores of Italy. Enjoy this dish chilled after marinating for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld together beautifully. A perfect appetizer or main course for seafood lovers.
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. fresh sardines
- 6 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbs. pine nuts
- 2 Tbs. golden raisins
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, make a slit on the underside of each sardine from the head to the tail, and use your finger to push out the viscera. Gently press the body open, grasp the spine near the tail end and carefully pull the bone free from the fish. Rinse the fish under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
- In a large, heavy fry pan over medium-low heat, warm 4 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until very tender but not browned, about 20 minutes. If the onions begin to brown, add a little water to the pan and lower the heat slightly.
- Add the wine, vinegar, pine nuts and raisins to the onions, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In another large fry pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, add the sardines in a single layer and cook, turning once, until opaque in the center when tested with a knife, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Arrange the sardines on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon the onion mixture evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6.
- Adapted from Williams-Sonoma <i>Essentials of Italian</i> by Michele Scicolone (Oxmoor House, 2007).
Yield
Serves 6.
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