This is a dish that I had when I was in Sicily on a trip with the state department. I went into this restaurant, and the chef was in the kitchen. I went in to see what he was doing and he showed me how to make this dish. I was totally blown away by how the acid comes from the inside, since most of the time when you’re frying a fish you’re putting the acid on the outside. I love learning new things when I travel.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 20 sardines, heads removed
- 1 quart apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil, for frying
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Clean the sardines so there are no scales left on the outside. Very carefully, with your thumbs, take out all of the inner bones, leaving the tails on. Marinate the sardines in the cider vinegar in a large baking dish for approximately 5 minutes.
- In a large cast-iron pan, heat 1 inch olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the olive oil is nice and hot, toss the sardines in the breadcrumbs, then place in the oil immediately. Fry, in batches as needed, until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
- Transfer the sardines to a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Season with salt and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 787 |
| Total Fat | 57 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Cholesterol | 30 mg |
| Sodium | 918 mg |