Ingredients

  • 8 sardines, scaled, cleaned and filleted
  • ¼ cup julienned onion
  • ¼ cup julienned fennel
  • ¼ cup carrot, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ⅓ cups verjus
  • cup Champagne wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 generous cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 fresh bay leaves, optional, for garnish
  • 4 spirals of orange zest, optional, for garnish
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      832 calories; 65 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 42 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 46 grams protein; 135 milligrams cholesterol; 690 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

4 servings

Preparation

  1. In a shallow casserole large enough to lay flat the 16 sardine halves, spread out half the vegetables and sprinkle with half the oregano and half the salt and pepper. Lay the sardine fillets flesh-side-down over the vegetables. Top with the remainder of the vegetables and sprinkle again with remaining oregano and salt and pepper. In a measuring cup, combine the verjus and vinegar. Pour the mixture over the sardines, cover and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  2. After 20 minutes, pour off all the liquid and cover sardine-and-vegetable mixture with the olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
  3. Serve 4 sardine fillets per person and include a fourth of the pickled vegetables. Garnish each with a bay leaf and orange zest.
  • Verjus is available from Dean & Deluca, New York, (800) 999-0306.

Dining and Cooking