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Sardines with sweet and sour red onion, mint and pine nuts

Name: Sardines with sweet sour red onion, mint and pine nuts recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 2 red onions, finely chopped; 1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar, plus extra to serve; 8 (500g total) whole fresh sardines, cleaned; 1/4 cup (35g) plain flour; 1 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped; 40g pine nuts, toasted

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Del_Sardines with sweet and sour red onion — Ben Dearnley

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by Laura Sharrad

Feb 10, 2022

Laura Sharrad's flavoursome sardines with sweet and sour red onion, mint and pine nuts recipe will most certainly impress your guests.

1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 red onions, finely chopped
1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar, plus extra to serve
8 (500g total) whole fresh sardines, cleaned
1/4 cup (35g) plain flour
1 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
40g pine nuts, toasted

Method

1.

To make the sweet and sour onions, place 2 tbs oil in a small frypan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes until onion is caramelised and very soft. Season to taste, and stir through the balsamic.
2.

Remove the head and backbone from each sardine, leaving the fish butterflied with the tail intact. (Alternatively, purchase butterflied sardines from your local fishmonger.)
3.

Dust sardines on each side with flour, and season. Heat remaining 2 tbs oil in a large non-stick frypan over high heat. Add sardines, skin-side down, and cook for 2 minutes or until almost cooked through. Turn and cook for 10 seconds, then remove from the pan. Lay sardines on a plate and spoon over sweet and sour onions. Top with pine nuts and mint, and drizzle with a little extra oil and balsamic, to serve.