Name: Stuffed sardines
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 80 ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling; 150 gm coarse sourdough breadcrumbs; 80 gm (1/3 cup) pine nuts; 80 gm (1/3 cup) sultanas, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained; 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped; 2 tbsp each finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint; Finely grated rind of ½ lemon; 20 butterflied sardines; 40 gm butter, coarsely chopped; To serve: lemon wedges; Fennel, lemon and orange salad; 2 baby fennel, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 1 lemon, thinly sliced; 1 orange, thinly sliced; For drizzling: extra-virgin olive oil

Stuffed sardines

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for stuffed sardines.

Serves 4

Prep

45M

Cook

10M

Total

55M

Skip to Recipe

Popular in Sicily, sardines are readily available in Australia, already cleaned and butterflied. The sultanas and pine nuts in the filling are common ingredients in Sicilian cooking, having been introduced to the island by the Arabs. In , Elizabeth David cooks the sardines in butter instead of the traditional olive oil. We too prefer butter: it will leave your sardines golden and crisp and lends a lovely caramelised flavour.

Ingredients

80 ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

150 gm coarse sourdough breadcrumbs

80 gm (1/3 cup) pine nuts

80 gm (1/3 cup) sultanas, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained

6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

2 tbsp each finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint

Finely grated rind of ½ lemon

20 butterflied sardines

40 gm butter, coarsely chopped

To serve: lemon wedges

Fennel, lemon and orange salad

2 baby fennel, thinly sliced on a mandolin

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 orange, thinly sliced

For drizzling: extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Main

1.Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and pine nuts, stir continuously until fragrant and lightly toasted (3-5 minutes), stir in sultanas, anchovy, herbs and lemon rind, season to taste and set aside.

2.Lay a sardine on a work surface, flesh-side up, spoon a teaspoon of breadcrumb mixture over the top, roll into a spiral to enclose filling, secure with a toothpick and set aside. Repeat with remaining sardines and stuffing.

3.For fennel and citrus salad, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and set aside.

4.Heat butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add sardines, tail side up, scatter remaining stuffing around, cover and cook until cooked through (3-5 minutes).

5.Transfer sardines and stuffing to a platter, serve hot with lemon wedges and fennel salad.