Roasted Sardines with Olives, Capers and Parsley

(988)

Chris Cosentino of San Francisco's Incanto is known for his offal dishes but a hearty fish like sardine, served whole, can also appeal to the nose-to-tail crowd. Cosentino pan-fries the omega-3-rich fish with an exhilarating mix of olives, capers, lemon zest, parsley and chiles. To make this more of a main course, he prepares a crunchy salad of artichokes and sunchokes to eat alongside. Restaurant Coverage from F&W Editors  Fast Fish Recipes

Roasted Sardines with Olives, Capers and Parsley
Photo: © John Kernick
Total Time:
45 mins
Yield:
6

Ingredients

  • 6 baby artichokes

  • 3/4 pound sunchokes, scrubbed but not peeled

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1 lemon, halved, plus 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 18 fresh sardines (about 2 ounces each), cleaned and scaled

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 3/4 cup green olives, such as Cerignola, pitted and chopped

  • 3 cups loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

  • 2 tablespoons chopped oregano

  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained

  • 2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced

  • 4 cups baby arugula (4 ounces)

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze the lemon into it. Snap off the green outer leaves of the artichokes until you reach the yellow leaves. Cut off the top third of each artichoke. Using a mandoline or a food processor fitted with the slicing blade, thinly shave the artichokes. Add them to the lemon water. Shave the sunchokes into the lemon water.

  2. In a very large ovenproof skillet, heat the canola oil until nearly smoking. Season the sardines lightly with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip the sardines and add the garlic, olives, parsley, oregano, capers, chiles and lemon zest. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the sardines for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through.

  3. Drain the artichokes and sunchokes and pat dry. Return them to the bowl and add the arugula, olive oil and lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer the sardines and salad to plates and serve.

Notes

One Serving 330 cal, 22 gm fat, 3 gm sat fat, 17 gm carb, 3 gm fiber, 19 gm protein, 810 mg sodium.

Suggested Pairing

Fish rich in omega-3s go best with unoaked wines with few tannins. For Cosentino's tangy roasted sardines, try pouring a bright New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, or a very light red, like a Beaujolais.

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