Ingredients

Servings 6

• 2 lb sardines

For filling

• 3 ½ oz crustless white bread
• milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¾ oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 oz parsley
• 1 sprig fresh oregano
• 4 leaves of basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• extra virgin olive oil to taste

For bread coating

• 2 eggs
• breadcrumbs
• all-purpose flour

Preparation

20 minutes preparation + 15 minutes cooking

In a bowl, mix together the bread, milk, eggs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, oregano, basil, oil, salt and pepper to make the filling.

Wash and clean the sardines, removing the innards, the heads and scales. Then, dry the sardines using paper towels.

Butterfly the fish and line them up on a flat work surface. Spread a little filling on each fish, making sure that it sticks well by pressing it down with the flat side of a knife blade.

Close the sardines, then, one by one, dust in flour, then in a bowl of beaten egg. Then cover with breadcrumbs, making sure that they stick well to the fish.

Once you have breaded the sardines, fry them in a pan of boiling oil. Make sure that they are completely immersed in the oil during frying. Once golden, remove using a skimmer and place on paper towels.

Serve hot.

Food History

The so-called “blue fish” is a non-scientific category that has come to refer to certain species of fish with the following characteristics: the habit of swimming in groups, small size and, especially, a blue dorsal fin. Mackerel, anchovies and sardines are all examples of blue fish that are not prized per se, but are truly delicious preserved in olive oil. Conserving fish in oil dates all the way back to the Etruscans who wanted to be able to store what they caught.

Did you known that...

It is believed that the French king, Henry IV, liked sardines so much that he would eat only this blue fish on religious holidays when people were not supposed to eat meat?

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