Sardines in Saor

Ingredients

• 800 g Sardines
• 700 g White onions
• 150 ml White wine vinegar
• 50 g Raisins
• 40 g Pine nuts
• 100 g All-purpose flour
• 60 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 500 ml Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Salt

Steps

1. Clean the sardines: scale them, remove the head and guts, slit along the belly and open them flat like a book, then gently lift out the central bone.
2. Rinse and pat thoroughly dry.
3. Soak the raisins in a little warm water (or white wine) for about 15 minutes until plump.
4. Drain and squeeze gently.
5. Peel the onions and slice them very thinly.
6. The dish needs a generous amount: there should be almost as much onion as fish.
7. In a wide pan, warm the extra-virgin olive oil over low heat, add the onions with a pinch of salt and stew them very slowly for 20–25 minutes, stirring often, until completely soft, golden and sweet — they must not brown or fry.
8. Pour in the white wine vinegar and the sugar, raise the heat slightly and let it bubble and evaporate for 3–4 minutes, until the harsh edge softens into a sweet-and-sour 'saor'.
9. Turn off the heat.
10. Meanwhile, flour the dried sardines lightly, shaking off the excess.
11. Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry them in batches until golden and crisp, about 1–2 minutes per side.
12. Drain on paper towels and season with a little salt.
13. In a deep dish, make a thin bed of the onions.
14. Lay down a single layer of fried sardines, cover them completely with onions, and scatter over some raisins and pine nuts.
15. Continue layering — sardines, onions, raisins, pine nuts — finishing with a generous top layer of onions and all the vinegary juices from the pan.
16. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (better 2–3 days) so the flavours marry.
17. Bring back to room temperature before serving with grilled polenta or crusty bread.

Tips

• The secret is the ratio: use almost as much onion as fish, and cook the onions slow and low so they melt rather than fry. Never skip the 24-hour rest — the saor is undeniably better after 2–3 days in the fridge. Traditionally served with grilled white polenta.