SARDE CON PANCETTA
Sardines with Pancetta
Serves 6
When the weather is fair and the fishermen are out these silver beauties come to us. Because I can’t guarantee the supply I don’t really list them as a menu item but they are usually around. The key to this dish is using really fresh sardines, which are then paired with a few simple ingredients to accentuate their salt-water flavour. My dad would bring them home, flour and fry them. We would sit together and eat them hot from the pan – head bones and all when they were small enough. It was here that I learnt to love the sardine in all its glory and splendour.
Ingredients
100 ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 clove garlic, chopped
75 g flat pancetta, chopped
500 g dried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1 teaspoon chopped mint
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
50 g Parmigiano, grated
18 sardines, whole
18 thin slices pancetta
Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced).
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic and chopped pancetta and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Mix in the breadcrumbs and herbs, season with salt and pepper and continue to fry until the mixture looks sandy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then toss through the Parmigiano.
Leaving the head and tail intact, gently remove the bones from the centre of each sardine. First, use a boning knife to lift the bones away from the flesh, then run your fingers between the flesh and the main bone, and snap the bone close to the tail and then close to the head. If you prefer, you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you.
Spoon some of the breadcrumb mixture into each sardine, then wrap each fish in a slice of pancetta. Sprinkle some of the remaining breadcrumb mixture over a baking tray and arrange the sardines on top. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs over the top and drizzle generously with olive oil. Bake for 10–15 minutes or until the sardines are golden. Serve with lemon wedges.
