Sardines escabeche

Escabeche used to be a way of preserving fish but now it is used for its flavour.  It is basically a vinaigrette with onions and garlic.  Sardines escabeche is a delicious cold tapas dish which can also be served as a starter.

Preparation Time: 20 Mins

Cooking Time: 15 Mins

Total Time: 5 Hrs

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

4                    Sardines    

                      Salt          

                      Pepper  - freshly ground, black 

                      Flour        

For frying

2 tbs               Olive oil    

For the marinade

1 tsp               Peppercorns  - black 

2                    Bay leaves

60 ml              Wine  - dry white     

1                    Carrot  - small, sliced

4 sprigs           Thyme      

10 cl               Vinegar  - Sherry      

1                    Onion  - red- small, sliced       

3 cloves           Garlic  - whole         

30 cl               Olive oil    

Method

To clean the sardines…

Cut off their heads and fins and scrape away any scales.  Cut the bellies and remove and discard the entrails.  Open up each fish by running a knife along bottom its bottom the length of the backbone and press lightly on top to flatten and butterfly it.  Lift out the backbone and rinse the fish under cold water.  Pat dry with paper towels.

To prepare the marinade…

In a saucepan, combine the onion, carrot, garlic, wine, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, thyme, bay, and peppercorns and bring to the boil over high heat.  Decrease the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To cook the fish…

Put the flour on a plate.  Sprinkle the sardines with salt and pepper and then dip them in the flour - coating both sides.  Shake off the excess.

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat until hot.  Pour in the olive oil and warm it until it ripples.  Put in the sardines and cook them for 30 seconds on each side.  Transfer them to a shallow dish.

To finish the dish…

Pour the warm marinade over the sardines.  Let cool completely, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Serve the sardines chilled with their marinade.

Wine recommendations

A white wine with good acidity.

Conventional

     Manzanilla Sherry

Interesting

     Côtes de Gascogne blanc

     Montlouis

     Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur lie

     Touraine sauvignon