RECIPES

SARDINES IN SAOR

Venetian style marinate sardines

Sardine fans recognize that Portuguese sardines stand alone when it comes to freshness and flavor. Portugal, a neighbor to Spain and stone’s throw from Italy, has over 500 miles of Atlantic coast; the perfect fishing grounds for our friend, the sardine.

“Saor” in Venetian dialect translates to the Italian “sapore” or flavor. The antique marinade used for the sardines is based with vinegar and onions, giving immense flavor to whatever it’s used on. The saor recipe is wonderful with sardines, the most classic preparation, but is also delicious with other kinds of small fish and vegetables. Think along the lines of sole and anchovies, or vegetables like zucchini, cauliflower or squash. The preparation always stays the same. Once the ingredient is fried, it’s covered with the marinade and left in the refrigerator. The longer it stays in the marinade the better.

Ingredients

8 fresh Portuguese sardines

1 large white onion, chopped

1 small carrot, chopped

1 stock of celery, chopped

2 cups of x.v. olive oil

1 cup of red wine vinegar

8 fresh bay leaves

1/2 cup of toasted peanuts

a pinch of salt

2 cups of peanut oil

1 cup of all-purpose flour

Preparation

Clean the sardines - remove the head, the innards and rinse them with water. Set aside to dry.

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery.

In a large pan, heat the oil on a low flame. Add the onion and let it cook until it is soft and starts to brown.

Toss in your celery and carrots and let them cook together for 5 minutes.

Add a bit of salt to your taste.

Turn off the fire and add the bay leaves, toasted peanuts and vinegar.

Stir well and set aside.

Heat up the peanut oil in a separate pan.

Flour your sardines well and fry both sides in the peanut oil for 2 minutes (1 minute per side).

Choose a deep tray, like a casserole dish, and place the sardines at the bottom. It’s ideal for the sardines to pile up on each other, so the container should not be too large. While they’re still warm, cover them with the marinade. Let it cool.

Cover the dish and place in the refrigerator. They are ready to eat whenever you see fit.