Sarde a Beccafico

Name: Sarde a Beccafico
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 16 fresh sardines butterflied, heads and bones removed; 100 g fine breadcrumbs; 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 30 g raisins soaked and drained; 30 g pine nuts lightly toasted; 15 g fresh parsley finely chopped; 1 orange zest and juice; 12 bay leaves; fine salt to taste

Sicilian stuffed sardine rolls

Fresh sardines rolled around breadcrumbs, raisins and pine nuts, then baked between bay leaves with citrus.

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Prep30 minsCook15 minsServes4DifficultyMedium

Bright, satisfying and built for real life.

This recipe brings together the generous flavours of Sicilian and Italian cooking in a format that works on a busy day. Read through the method before starting and adjust seasoning to your taste.

Ingredient notes & swaps

Use lemon instead of orange for a sharper finish.
Omit pine nuts and add extra breadcrumbs for a nut-free version.

The recipe

Sarde a Beccafico

30 min prep15 min cook45 min total4 servings

Scale:

Ingredients

Sardines

16 fresh sardines, butterflied, heads and bones removed

Filling

100 g fine breadcrumbs
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30 g raisins, soaked and drained
30 g pine nuts, lightly toasted
15 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 orange, zest and juice

Assembly

12 bay leaves

Seasoning

fine salt, to taste

Method

1
Heat the oven to 200°C and lightly oil a shallow baking dish.
Set a timer: 5 minutes
2
Toast the breadcrumbs in one tablespoon of oil, then mix with raisins, pine nuts, parsley, orange zest and enough juice to bind.
Set a timer: 8 minutes
3
Place filling on each sardine, roll from the head end towards the tail and arrange seam-side down.
Set a timer: 12 minutes
4
Tuck bay leaves between the rolls, drizzle with the remaining oil and orange juice, and season lightly.
Set a timer: 3 minutes
5
Bake until the sardines are just cooked and the crumbs are golden.
Set a timer: 15 minutes

Sarde a beccafico are a Sicilian preparation of butterflied sardines wrapped around seasoned breadcrumbs, raisins and pine nuts. Bay leaves and citrus perfume the rolls as they bake.