Marinated Fried Sardines (Sardine v Šavorju)
Sardine v Šavorju is a dish very popular in Slovenian Istria. It is a variation of a Venetian recipe for sarde in saòr — sarde means sardines, and saòr or sapore in standard Italian translates as flavor. The name suggests that the flavor of the fish is enhanced by the marinade, which in this case is made of onions and vinegar.
The first recipe for sarde in saòr appeared in the 1300s in the book `Libro per cuoco’ by the so-called ‘anonymous Venetian.’ Presumably it was created because of sailors’ need to conserve fish during long sea voyages. In an age before refrigerators, the sailors cooked the sardines and mixed them with onions and vinegar in order to preserve them; the vinegar kept the bacteria away, and the onion protected the sailors from scurvy. Venice was known as the door to the East since it was the primary trade port for spices bound for western and northern Europe. So before long sailors began experimenting with adding spices and nuts to sarde in saòr; in particular, they added raisins and pine nuts that would have made their way to Venice from the Greek islands and Turkey.
In contrast to the Venetian sarde in saòr, the humbler Istrian variety does not include raisins or pine nuts. However, it makes up for that with Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and bay leaves that are abundant along the coast, and in this recipe, juniper berries.
The dish is usually served as a cold starter or sometimes as a main. It can be made year-round but is particularly pleasant to enjoy during the hot summer months.
If you crave more recipes and information about dishes from the Northern Adriatic, also visit the wonderful blog Beans & Sardines.
Recipe
Ingredients:
750 g sardines
salt
flour (enough to coat the sardines)
frying oil
80 g olive oil
200 g onions
4 cloves garlic
50 ml white wine vinegar + 50 ml water (can be replaced with 100 ml mild white wine vinegar)
125 ml white wine (Malvazija)
10 peppercorns
8 juniper berries
1 rosemary spring
1 bay leaf
4 lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions:
Rinse the sardines and remove the heads. This is typically done by hand.
Salt the sardines and coat them in flour.
Deep fry the sardines in plenty of oil until they are golden and crisp (a few minutes on each side).
Drain the sardines on a paper towel.
Peel the onions and slice them thinly.
Sauté the slices of onions gently in olive oil (in a separate frying pan) until they are transparent. Add garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, and then add the vinegar, wine, peppercorns and spices (juniper berries, rosemary & bay leaf). Let it cook for a few minutes, then remove from heat.
Take a baking pan or a container with high sides and alternate layers of onions and fried sardines. The last layer should be onions. If there is any liquid left, pour it over the onions and sardines.
Let it marinate for at least a day or a couple of days in the fridge, so the sardines marinate well and absorb all the flavors.
Take the sardines out of the fridge a few hours before serving them with lemon wedges.