Sardines Beccafico
Ingredients
Sardines
- 70 g golden sultanas
- 1 kg sardines
- 100 g fresh breadcrumbs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g pine nuts
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
- 20 g untreated lemon zest finely grated
- 20 g untreated orange zest finely grated
- Salt and pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Cauliflower puree
- 1 cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 2 star anise
- 3 drops Colatura di alici (Italian anchovy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon light cheese spread
- Salt and pepper
To finish
- Toasted pine nuts
- Golden sultanas
- Star anise
- Orange powder
- Sprouts and small herb leaves
Instructions
Sardines
- Soak the sultanas in water for about 45 minutes to plump and then drain and chop. Keep a few whole ones aside to use as garnish.
- Clean the sardines, open them up like a book and remove the spine bones.
- Toast the breadcrumbs and pine nuts in a pan with 50 ml of olive oil for 5-7 minutes or until lightly coloured. Add chopped parsley, citrus zests and sultanas with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the mixture over the sardines and roll up to enclose the filling.
- Place the sardine rolls in a pan lightly greased with olive oil, tails facing upwards. Add bay leaves and bake at 180 °C for 7-8 minutes.
Cauliflower puree
- Steam the cauliflower until tender. Heat the olive oil in a pan with the garlic and cook for 2 minutes without burning. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Transfer half of the cauliflower into a blender and process.
- Add the remaining cauliflower with the star anise and a few drops of anchovy sauce and blend to a creamy consistency.
- Add garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano and spreadable cheese with salt and pepper to taste. Put aside.
To finish
- Spoon the cauliflower puree in the centre of the dishes and press with another plate to form a spontaneous design.
- Arrange two sardines rolls next to each other and garnish with pine nuts, sultanas, star anise, orange powder, sprouts and herb leaves.