The baked sarde a beccafico Catanese style is a delicious second course featuring this precious type of fish with a soft stuffing.
Sardines belong to the bluefish family, which, as we all know, boast numerous health benefits.
Notably, they are rich in omega 3, which gives sardines a pronounced anti-inflammatory power.
This sarde a beccafico recipe is very popular in the Catania area where I come from, but they are usually fried.
For an equally flavorful but lighter result, I propose the oven-baked version.
The sardines are crispy on the outside but moist and tender inside thanks to their filling.
The only recommendation is not to overcook them to enjoy an excellent fish dish.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 325.31 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.71 (g) of which sugars 2.69 (g)
- Proteins 24.07 (g)
- Fat 16.52 (g) of which saturated 4.60 (g)of which unsaturated 4.63 (g)
- Fibers 1.23 (g)
- Sodium 774.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 75 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 16 sardines
- 1.75 oz breadcrumbs (from stale bread)
- 1 oz pecorino cheese (grated)
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 1.75 oz breadcrumbs (to be seasoned with 1 tbsp of pecorino cheese and a pinch of salt)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- 1 Kitchen Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Baking Tray oven
Steps
To prepare the baked sarde a beccafico Catanese style, start by soaking the stale bread in warm water.
For this recipe, the sardines need to be cleaned, removing the head, innards, and central bone while leaving the tail intact.
To do this, soak the fish in plain water for at least an hour. This will make it easier to remove the bone if your trusted fishmonger hasn’t already done so.
Open the sardine like a book (as shown in the picture below) and then grip the bone just below the tail, which should be left.
Break the bone at this point and gently pull it, following the entire fillet.
.
After cleaning all the sardines, take back the soaked bread.
When it’s well swollen and softened, squeeze it and crumble it into a large bowl.
Add the finely chopped parsley and garlic with the knife on a cutting board, grated pecorino cheese, 1 egg, a pinch of salt, and optionally, freshly ground black pepper.
Work well with your hands until you get a homogeneous and soft mixture, but with some body.
Quickly rinse the sardines with a mix of water and vinegar, then drain well.
In a plate, season the breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of grated pecorino cheese and a pinch of fine salt.
On each sardine opened like a book, place a portion of the prepared mixture.
Press the stuffing with your hands to shape it onto the sardine.
The filling thickness should be just under 1/2 inch to not extend the cooking time.
Cover with the other fish fillet and coat the obtained sarde a beccafico on both sides with the seasoned breadcrumbs.
Place the sardine on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Once this operation is complete, drizzle some olive oil over the sardines and bake at 355°F for about 30 minutes in a preheated oven using static function.
Initially place the tray in the lower/middle part of the oven and then, halfway through the cooking time, raise the tray to the top level.
Alternatively, bake at 340°F using the fan function in the middle of the oven.
Adjust based on your oven and the thickness of the filling.
If preferred, the oil can be added halfway through the cooking.
The baked sarde a beccafico Catanese style is ready.
Serve them just out of the oven with a few drops of lemon and another drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.
Storage
In the fridge, well sealed in an airtight container, for one day.
In the fridge, well sealed in an airtight container, for one day.
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