Sarde in saor – Traditional Venetian Sweet and Sour Sardines

Preparation

1. 01

   Step 01

   Clean the sardines, remove the bones and fillet them. Lightly salt both sides and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.

2. 02

   Step 02

   Place the flour on a wide plate. Coat the sardine fillets in the flour and shake off any excess.

3. 03

   Frying

   Heat half the olive oil (75 ml) in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the sardines in a single layer and fry for approximately 2–3 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

4. 04

   cooking over low heat

   Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan and add the thinly sliced onions. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30–35 minutes until the onions are soft and have turned a golden caramel colour.

5. 05

   cooking over low heat

   Add the white wine vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, salt and pepper to the onions. Cook over low heat for a further 10–15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and become glossy.

6. 06

   Step 06

   Add the pine nuts and sultanas to the onion sauce. Cook for a further 2–3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaf.

7. 07

   Step 07

   Place a layer of fried sardines in a shallow serving dish and spread half the onion sauce over the top. Add a second layer of sardines and pour over the remaining sauce. Leave to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.