"My dream was to help my hometown, a small island hidden under
the A in Atlantic, called Swallow Falls. We were one of the leading exporters
of sardines, until the day Baby Brent Sardine cannery closed when everyone
realized that sardines...are super gross. So everyone was stuck eating all the
sardines that nobody wanted. Frozen, boiled, dried, fried, candied and juiced.
Life was gray and flavorless, but when things seem hopeless, I stared down at
defeat, and found hope."
~Flint Lockwood
It's time for my Food'n'Flix submission for the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs double-feature. Click to read my invitation: here.Thankfully my family doesn't think that sardines are super gross! We love them...R even did a report on how important the sardine industry was to developing this area.
So, though inspired by our love of meatballs - check out D's Lion Head Soup, R's Spaghetti and Meatballs, Bitokes from Russia, and Tajine-el-Khoukh from Algeria - and the cute-factor of the foodimals, I made a typical Venetian sardine dish called Sarde in Saòr. Some call them sweet and sour sardines. I think they are a perfect summer dish. They are made ahead of time, served cold, and just need a side of fabulous crusty bread. Easiest dinner ever!
I first got to taste Sarde in Saòr on the small island village of Burano, an island in the Venetian lagoon famous for their lace-making.
Some people add almonds and raisins, I prefer my sardines uncomplicated and keep it simple with just the onions.
Ingredients serves 4- 4 fresh sardines
- 1 white onion
- ½ C vinegar (I used a Pinot Grigio vinegar infused with thyme. Use what you have.)
- ¼ C water
- olive oil
- freshly ground pepper
- freshly ground salt
- fresh herbs (I used dill)
Procedure
Peel and trim the onion. Slice thinly and place in a saucepan. Pour in
the vinegar and water. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes until the
vinegar is reduced at least by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let
the onions rest and cool.
Clean the fresh sardines, rinsing them under cold water and patting them dry. Brown the sardines in a splash of hot oil. Cook only till opaque, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side.
Once the sardines are cooked, remove from heat. Layer the onions, sardines, and fresh herbs in a shallow dish, alternating one with the other. Let cool and marinate for at least 4 hours, longer if possible. Serve cold.
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Very healthy. blessings, Catherine
ReplyDeleteOh, this dish sounds delicious! I've never been fortunate enough to try fresh sardines. I don't think they're available in these parts. Maybe when I head to the Pac NW next month, I'll be able to! Thanks for the fun flick pick this month :)
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed your kids like sardines. I've never tried a fresh sardine, so I'm sure my opinion of them is very tilted.
ReplyDeleteReally fun this month, Camilla.
ReplyDeleteI am a big sardine fan but I seldom get them fresh. I like good canned sardines with lemon, salt, pepper and capers on crackers. ;-) I like the vinegar and dill in this dish. A great pick for the film and a great movie choice. Thanks for hosting this month!
ReplyDeleteI have never had sardines. My husbands family eats pickled herring and I have tried those. Is this similar to that? Enjoyed Food n Flix this month. Thanks so much for hosting.
ReplyDeleteI was so curious to see in someone would go for sardines lol. i was tempted. Really interesting and tasty dish. Great movie pick.
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