Sicilian stuffed sardines (Sarde a beccafico)

These Sicilian sardines are stuffed with a flavourful mixture of breadcrumbs, herbs and citrus then roasted on a bed of fennel slices with orange.

Sicilian stuffed sardines (Sarde a beccafico) Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 50 g raisins, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
• 100 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 medium bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 oranges (zest 2 oranges, juice ½ an orange, slice remaining 1½ oranges)
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 50 g pine nuts
• pinch saffron, soaking in 1 tbsp warm water
• salt and black pepper
• 1 wild fennel (or small regular), sliced, fronds reserved
• 16 butterflied sardine fillets
• 16 bay leaves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• toothpicks, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Drain the raisins and cut in half.
2. Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, orange zest and garlic in a food processor. Blitz until combined. Tip the contents into a bowl and stir through the pine nuts, raisins, saffron, salt and pepper. Mix through the orange juice.
3. Arrange the fennel in a single layer at the bottom of baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Lay the sardine fillets skin-side down and add a teaspoon of breadcrumb mixture to the top. Roll up and secure with a toothpick, making sure the tail sticks out and add more mixture to the sides, so they are nice and full.
5. Arrange the stuffed sardines over the fennel. Scatter the remaining breadcrumb mixture over the top and intersperse with orange slices and bay leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the sardines are cooked and the crumbs begin to turn golden.
7. Serve, garnished with the reserved fennel fronds.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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