Sarde a Beccafico (Sicilian Stuffed Sardines)

Name: Sarde a Beccafico (Sicilian Stuffed Sardines)
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Sardines already cleaned 1.2 lbs; Bay leaves to taste; Breadcrumbs ½ cup; Raisins 2 tbsp; Parsley 2 tbsp; Pine nuts 1 oz; Anchovies in oil (the fillets) 1 tbsp; Sugar 1 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp; Acacia honey 2.4 tbsp; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp; Orange juice 2.4 tbsp

390

Calories per serving

Lactose Free

Energy Kcal 390
Carbohydrates g 24.2
of which sugars g 15
Protein g 33.1
Fats g 17.8
of which saturated fat g 3.16
Fiber g 1.8
Cholesterol mg 90
Sodium mg 495

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 25 min
Serving: 4 persone
Cost: Very low

PRESENTATION

Just turn the corner of any Sicilian city to discover a new version... today we talk about sarde a beccafico! A delicious, colorful, fragrant, and flavorful second course. The name of this recipe comes from the beccafico, little birds that were once only eaten by nobles. So the people made a similar dish with what they had available, such as eggplants, meat, or the sardines we offer you today. The combination of flavors that blend in this dish makes it particularly tasty and delicious, definitely worth trying. The sardine rolls are stuffed with a pleasantly sweet mixture made with breadcrumbs, pine nuts, and raisins, ingredients also found in the famous pasta with sardines. The whole thing is then covered with an orange-scented emulsion. Also prepare the variant with pork loin to satisfy everyone's tastes at the table!

INGREDIENTS

390

Calories per serving

Ingredients for the sardines: Sardines 1.2 lbs (520 g) - already cleaned; Bay leaves to taste

For the filling: Breadcrumbs ½ cup (50 g); Raisins 2 tbsp (25 g); Parsley 2 tbsp (10 g); Pine nuts 1 oz (25 g); Anchovies in oil 1 tbsp (15 g) - (the fillets); Sugar 1 tbsp (15 g); Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)

For the emulsion: Acacia honey 2.4 tbsp (35 g); Extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp (10 g); Orange juice 2.4 tbsp (35 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Sarde a Beccafico (Sicilian Stuffed Sardines)

To prepare sarde a beccafico, first make sure your sardines are already cleaned (you will need 1.2 lbs of butterfly-cut sardines), otherwise you can follow our guide how to clean anchovies; the procedure will be the same. Then proceed to prepare the filling by first rinsing and then soaking the raisins in cold water for about ten minutes. Then pour a drizzle of oil into a pan, add the breadcrumbs 2 and toast them for a couple of minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously 3.

In the meantime, chop the parsley 4 and roughly chop the anchovies 5. In a bowl, pour the breadcrumbs, the drained and squeezed raisins 6,

the pine nuts 7, the anchovies 8, the parsley, the sugar 9, salt, and pepper.

Mix everything together 10 and set aside for a moment. Then grease a 8x8 inch baking dish 11 and proceed to stuff the sardines. Place some filling on each sardine 12

and roll it starting from the head end 13, forming a roll. Arrange the sardines in the baking dish in an orderly manner, so they are close to each other 14. Take the bay leaves, if they are very large, divide them in half, otherwise use them whole. Place the leaves between each roll 15.

At this point 16 sprinkle the surface with the remaining filling 17. Now prepare the emulsion. Pour the honey, orange juice 18,

and oil 19 into a small bowl. Emulsify by quickly whisking with a fork, then spread over the sardines using a spoon 20. Bake in a preheated static oven at 390°F for about 20-25 minutes. Then take them out of the oven 21 and serve.

How to store

Sarde a beccafico can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days.

Tips

If you want to prepare sarde a beccafico Catanese style, in the filling, you must replace half of the breadcrumbs with the same weight of grated pecorino cheese, and add chopped garlic or onion. Additionally, the mixture is spread on the sardine's flesh, which is then topped with another sardine like a sandwich (with the skin facing out); these are then dipped in beaten egg, subsequently in breadcrumbs, and finally fried.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.