Sardines beccafico with vegetable tartare and mint sauce

An hors-d’oeuvre particularly appetizing, to serve preferably hot.

Ingredients

Servings 4

• 2 lb sardines
• 3 ½ oz breadcrumbs
• 3 oz desalted anchovies
• 3 oz raisins
• 3 oz pine nuts
• 3 oz parsley
• 3 oz extra virgin olive oil
• 1 oz sugar
• bay leaves to taste

For tartare

• 1 ¾ oz carrots
• 1 ¾ oz zucchini
• 1 ¾ oz peppers, sweet
• 3 ½ oz extra virgin olive oil

Sauce

• 1 ½ oz mint
• 1 ½ oz extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

25 minutes preparation + 15 minutes cooking

Step 1

Cut off the head of the sardines, remove scales and clean carefully.
Open the sardines and remove fishbones, taking care to leave the fillets attached.
Wash the flattened fillets and let water drip off.

Brown the breadcrumbs in a little oil in a saucepan.

Step 2

Once brown, add chopped anchovies, pine kernels, and raisins which were previously soaked in water.

Step 3

Add chopped parsley to the mixture, crushed bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. The mixture should be well blended but not too liquid.

Step 4

On the oven tray place a tin mould lined with grease proof paper.

Step 5

Place sardine fillets inside the tin mould pressing them evenly to the sides.

Step 6

Pour the mixture into the mould.

Step 7

Press the mixture lightly down and cover it by joining the sardines. In oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.

Step 8

Serve the dish after seasoning with oil and parsley, accompanied with the mint sauce and the vegetable tartare (with the raw vegetables finely chopped).

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