Stuffed Fried Sardines

Stuffed Fried Sardines

"In the summer, there are festivals throughout Galicia to celebrate the sardine season," says Janet Mendel. "The sardines are so popular that, after everyone goes out and eats them, the bouncers at the discotheques won't let you in if you smell too fishy." The traditional Galician preparation is to simply grill the freshly caught sardines over hot coals. Instead, Mendel fills the tender fish with a sweet-salty ham-and-raisin stuffing and fries them to make a crunchy starter that loves a crisp Albariño.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings 4 people

Calories 380 kcal

Equipment

• KitchenAid® K400 Blender
• Two 12-cup nonstick muffin pans
• Citrus zester
• Citrus zester
• Sharp knife
• Pastry brush

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp chopped raisins
• 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 large scallion minced
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 Cup finely chopped serrano ham
• 1 ts ground fennel or fennel pollen Salt and freshly ground pepper 16 sardines—butterflied, spines removed heads and tails removed (optional) All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 Large Eggs
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying

Instructions

 

• Step1, In a small bowl, mix the raisins with the lemon juice, scallion, parsley, bread crumbs, chopped ham and ground fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Open a sardine and place a rounded teaspoon of the filling on one side of the fish. Close the sardine, pressing the halves together firmly. Repeat with the remaining sardines and filling.
  
• Step 2, Spread flour in a shallow bowl. Place the eggs in another shallow bowl and beat the water into the eggs. Dredge the sardines in the flour, then dip them into the egg mixture to thoroughly coat, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the sardines again in the flour and shake off any excess.
  
• Step3, In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of olive oil until shimmering. Add half of the sardines and fry over moderately high heat until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Drain the sardines briefly on paper towels and transfer to plates. Repeat with the remaining sardines.
  

Notes

Serve With

Lemon wedges and mesclun salad.

Keyword Meat, Sauce

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