Sarde in Saor
Fried sardines layered with sweet-sour onions
Venetian sardines fried and rested under slowly cooked onions, wine vinegar, raisins and pine nuts, served as a cool antipasto.
Plus 1 day for refrigerated marinating; included in the total time below.
Venice, Veneto
The regional version.
Venetian sardines in saor with a two-to-one onion-to-fish ratio, raisins and pine nuts.
- Fried sardines are layered beneath abundant slowly cooked onions.
- Wine vinegar supplies the saor sweet-sour marinade.
- A refrigerated rest lets the flavours develop; raisins and pine nuts enrich this version.
Technique: fried sardines layered with sweet-sour onions
Keep the fish in recognisable pieces and soften onions patiently. The overnight rest belongs in the timing, but it is always refrigerated; vinegar does not make the dish shelf-stable.
The recipe
Sarde in Saor
Includes 1 day for refrigerated marinating.
Ingredients
Main
Method
- 1
Soak raisins in warm water for 15 minutes. Dry cleaned sardines thoroughly, dust with flour and shake off excess.
- 2
Fry sardines in batches at about 175°C until golden and cooked through, then drain on kitchen paper.
- 3
Cook onions slowly in olive oil for 30–40 minutes until very soft, without dark browning.
- 4
Add vinegar, sugar, drained raisins and pine nuts. Simmer for 5 minutes and season; keep enough liquid for the marinade.
- 5
Layer sardines and onion mixture in a shallow container. Cool promptly, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
- 6
Serve cool, checking for bones when portioning. The vinegar dressing is for flavour, not a substitute for refrigeration.
The version on this page
Venetian sardines in saor with a two-to-one onion-to-fish ratio, raisins and pine nuts.
- Fried sardines are layered beneath abundant slowly cooked onions.
- Wine vinegar supplies the saor sweet-sour marinade.
- A refrigerated rest lets the flavours develop; raisins and pine nuts enrich this version.
Cooking it well
Keep the fish in recognisable pieces and soften onions patiently. The overnight rest belongs in the timing, but it is always refrigerated; vinegar does not make the dish shelf-stable.
Serving and planning
Serve as an antipasto with grilled polenta or bread, taking out only the portions needed shortly before eating.
Allow 1440 additional minutes for refrigerated marinating. This is included in the total recipe time, alongside active preparation and cooking.
Explore the Italian regional cooking guide for related dishes and pantry notes.
Storage
Keep covered in the refrigerator and use within 3 days of cooking, including the marinating day.
Freezing
Freezing the assembled dish is not recommended for its fish and onion texture.
Reheating
Serve cool or briefly tempered; no reheating is needed.
Keep cooking
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