Sardine Siciliane Agro Dolce (Sweet and Sour Sardine)

Cook Time 45 mins

Servings 4 - 6 as entree

Ingredients

500g fresh sardines, cleaned

1–2 tablespoons Extra olive oil

Lighthouse Biscuit, Pastry & Cake Plain Flour, for dusting

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 brown onions, finely diced

balsamic vinegar

1 handful fresh mint, roughly chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

Method

To prepare the sweet and sour onions, heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat then add the onion. Cook until the onions are tender and caramelised, approximately 15 mins.

To prepare the fish, remove the head and backbone from the sardines, leaving the fish butterflied with the tail intact. Alternatively, purchase butterflied sardines from your local fishmonger.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and dust the sardines with a little flour.

Gently cook the sardines in the frying pan over medium-high heat for about 1 minute on each side, then lightly season.

Lay the sardines on a plate and cover with the caramelised onion.

At the same time, in a separate frying pan, gently toast the pine nuts over low–medium heat for about 3 minutes, turning the nuts to achieve a good even colour.

Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and chopped mint. Top with pine nuts.