TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Sarde in SaorVenetian Sweet-and-Sour Sardines
A Venetian preserved dish of fried sardines layered with sweet-and-sour onions, pine nuts and raisins, then rested for 24–48 hours.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Fresh sardinesRemove the heads and innards, butterfly and pat dry.600 g
- White onionsThinly sliced.600 g
- White wine vinegar160 ml
- RaisinsSoak in lukewarm water.40 g
- Pine nuts30 g
- Flour60 g
- Frying oil600 ml
- Extra virgin olive oil40 ml
- Salt8 g
Method
Prepare the sardines and other ingredients
- 1 Remove the heads and innards from 600 g sardines, butterfly and pat dry.
- 2 Thinly slice 600 g white onions.
- 3 Soak 40 g raisins in lukewarm water.
Ready when
Proceed when the surface of the sardines is dry.
Fry the sardines
- 1 Sprinkle the sardines with 4 g salt and lightly coat with 60 g flour.
- 2 Heat 600 ml frying oil to 170°C and fry the sardines.
- 3 Remove when the surface is pale golden and the flesh is plump.
Make the saor
- 1 Put 40 ml extra virgin olive oil and the white onions in a pan and cook over low heat.
- 2 When the onions are translucent and smell sweet, add 160 ml white wine vinegar, 4 g salt, the raisins and 30 g pine nuts.
- 3 Simmer for 5 minutes until the sharpness of the vinegar mellows.
Layer and marinate
- 1 Alternate layers of sardines and warm saor in a container.
- 2 Finish with a covering of onions and refrigerate once the initial heat has dissipated.
Leave to rest
- 1 Rest in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours.
Ready when
The dish is ready when the sweet-and-sour marinade has soaked into the sardines and the aromas of the onions and fish have melded.
About this dish
Sarde in saor carries the maritime and commercial history of Venice. Marinating fried sardines in sweet-and-sour onions improved their keeping qualities and sustained sailors and fishermen.
The sweet-and-sour combination of pine nuts and raisins reflects Venice’s prosperity through trade with the East. Acidity, sweetness, oil and the savory flavor of the fish settle together over time, so this is a dish to eat the following day or later rather than on the day it is made.
It remains popular as cicchetti in bacari and as a home antipasto. A preserved dish that can be eaten cold on hot days, it expresses the character of Venice as a port city.
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