Sardines Stuffed with Spiced Rice

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 2

Ingredients

Sardines, fresh & cleaned (no bones)

1 cup risotto rice

½ cup hot water

½ cup olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp dried mint

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

½ bunch parsley

½ bunch dill

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup currants

1 lemon

½ cup melted butter

To Garnish

Fresh dill, mint and parsley

Lemon juice

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Wash the rice under hot water and soak in hot water for 10 minutes.

In a small pot, boil 1 cup of water and boil and add in currants and poach for 5 minutes and sieve.

Add olive oil to a pan over a medium heat and cook the pine nuts until brown. Then add in onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes until onions are soft.

Sieve the rice and add to the onion and mix together for a minute then add in all the dry ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the currants. Add hot water and cover the pot with lid and cook for medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the chopped parsley and dill and mix through to rice with the zest of one lemon. Take off the heat and cover with a tea towel for 10 min to cool down. Keep at room temperature.

To finish, in a small moulds brushed with melted butter, cover the mould one by one with sardines and put some of the rice in and cover the rice with sardines tails. Place in the oven for 7 - 10 minutes.

Garnish with sprigs of dill, mint, parsley and a drizzle of lemon juice.