Sarde in Saor
Veneto · antipasto · serves 6 · 1500 min total · easy
Venetian sailors carried this for long voyages — vinegar and sugar preserved the fish for weeks. A Republic-of-Venice survival food turned masterpiece.
Ingredients
- 800 g fresh sardines, cleaned
- 1000 g white onions
- 200 ml white wine vinegar
- 40 g pine nuts
- 60 g sultanas
- 120 ml olive oil
- 80 g flour
- 500 ml frying oil
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Soak sultanas in warm water 20 minutes.
- Slice onions paper-thin. Sweat in olive oil over the lowest heat for 30 minutes — they should melt without browning.
- Add vinegar to the onions, let it bubble 2 minutes. Off heat.
- Dredge sardines in flour, fry in hot oil until crisp on both sides. Drain.
- Layer in a dish: onions, sardines, drained sultanas, pine nuts. Repeat. Top layer must be onions.
- Cover, refrigerate at least 24 hours. Best after 2 days. Serve at room temperature on grilled bread.