Sardines in Vinegar (Escabeche)

Name: Sardines in Vinegar (Escabeche)
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: spanish
Ingredients: 1 pound sardines, (or 4 to 6 per person depending on the size), cleaned, heads removed; Salt and freshly ground pepper; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar; 2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved, and green shoots removed; Pinch of saffron threads; Pinch of ground ginger; 2 onions, sliced or chopped; 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed; 2 small bay leaves; 1 lemon, sliced in rounds; Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 4(45)
Comments: Read comments

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4

1pound sardines, (or 4 to 6 per person depending on the size), cleaned, heads removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
2garlic cloves, peeled, halved, and green shoots removed
Pinch of saffron threads
Pinch of ground ginger
2onions, sliced or chopped
½teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
2small bay leaves
1lemon, sliced in rounds
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Pat sardines dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet and add sardines. Cook on one side for about 2½ minutes, flip over and cook on the other side for another 2½ minutes, or until flesh is opaque and flakes when poked with a fork. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, toss together and scrape bottom of pan with a spoon to deglaze. Remove from heat and transfer to a ceramic baking dish.
Step 2
In a mortar and pestle, mash together garlic, a generous pinch of salt, saffron and ginger.
Step 3
Heat remaining olive oil over medium heat in the skillet in which you cooked the sardines and add onions and pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic mix, coriander seeds and bay leaves and continue to cook, stirring often, until onions are very soft but not browned (add a little salt if they begin to stick), another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining vinegar and turn heat to medium low. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add to dish with sardines. Toss together gently.
Step 4
Top sardines with lemon slices. Cover dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (as long as overnight). Before serving, sprinkle with parsley.