Name: Sardines marinated in chilli, garlic and bay leaves (Sardinas en escabeche)
Yield: For 6 Tapas
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 100 ml (3½ fl oz) dry white wine; 12 cloves garlic; 100 ml (3½ fl oz) white wine vinegar; 1 dried red chilli pepper, minced; 3 bay leaves; 1 tbsp sweet Spanish paprika; 12 fresh medium sardines, scaled and gutted; 100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil; salt to taste; 100 ml (3½ fl oz) water; flour for coating; pepper to taste

Preparation info

For
6
Tapas

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

New Tapas

By Fiona Dunlop

Published 2002

About

Simple, grilled sardines are ubiquitous throughout Spain, but Albert’s marinade transforms them into an aromatic sensation. While this tapa is explicitly garlicky, the slight bitterness of the bay leaves gives it a cutting edge. It tastes even better a day later.

Ingredients

12 fresh medium sardines, scaled and gutted
flour for coating
100 ml (3½ fl oz)

Method

At least 2½ hours before serving, coat the sardines lightly with flour on both sides and quickly fry in hot oil to brown each side. Place in a shallow earthenware dish.
Strain the oil that was used to fry the sardines and, when cool, return it to the frying pan and add the pepper, chilli pepper and garlic. Fry gently until the garlic is golden.
Remove