serves
4
prep
10 minutes
cook
10 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
10
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 20 very fresh sardines, ideally about 10 cm (4 in) in length, filleted
- 50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 egg
- splash of milk
- 50 g (1¾ oz/½ cup) dried breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
- extra-virgin olive oil, for pan-frying
- sea salt
- lemon wedges, to serve
Serves 4 as an appetiser.
Instructions
- Wash the filleted sardines and pat them dry with paper towel. Tip the flour into a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk in a second bowl, and pour the breadcrumbs into a third. Dust one fillet at a time in flour (on both sides), dip in the egg wash and then drop into the breadcrumbs, making sure it is well coated. Place each crumbed sardine on a plate.
- Pour olive oil into a large shallow frying pan to a depth of 3–5 mm (¹⁄8–¼ in) and heat over medium–high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add five to seven fillets (depending on the size of your pan) and cook for 1 minute or until the breadcrumbs are golden. Turn them over with tongs and cook the other side for less than a minute. Remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining sardines.
- Season the sardines with sea salt and serve hot with lemon wedges. If you were in Trieste and it was summer you would probably enjoy them with a cold beer.
Recipe and images from Adriatico by Paola Bacchia, Smith Street Books, RRP $55.00
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.
