Escabeche in More Detail

While I am talking about sardines I will provide a simple escabeche recipe. This dish works really well with any oily fish and is an absolute treat as part of a summer antipasto table. Season some whole sardines with sea salt and dust with flour. Heat a heavy-based saucepan and add some extra virgin olive oil. Add the fish and cook for 1 minute on each side, until you have a nice colour, then remove from the pan. Allow to cool, then pull the sardines open and remove the backbone and head: this is very easy, they should come out in a flash. Now lay the sardines in a nice shallow dish. Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a small pan and gently fry some sliced carrots, garlic and red onion, a small amount of chilli flakes, some black peppercorns and some white wine. Add a good dash of red wine vinegar and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle finely shredded flat-leaf (Italian) parsley over the fish and add the sauce to the fish while the sauce is still hot. Allow to cool and serve some hours later; this dish is great with a glass of aromatic white wine or a little glass of chilled dry sherry.