Sicilian Stuffed Sardines
Imagine an island in the heart of the Mediterranean sea, gorgeous, rich in culture and variety of recipes. Sicily offers enough culinary variety to try something new every day without repeating a dish. Let’s get to know this island by preparing Sicilian stuffed sardines – a sweet and savory appetizer or main dish, featuring pine nuts and oranges that will make you feel on this beautiful island.
Italian name: Sarde a beccafico [ˈsarde a bekkaˈfiko]
This recipe has a fascinating origin. It was invented in Sicily, where noblemen hunted a bird called beccafico, which was then cooked with a special raisins stuffing. Unable to afford such luxuries, the local people created their own version using sardines, a common and inexpensive fish, instead of the bird. This is how sarde a beccafico were born: sardines stuffed with raisins, pine nuts and breadcrumbs.
This dish captures the essence of Mediterranean flavors, combining fresh fish, oranges, and pine nuts into a delicious, sweet-and-savory appetizer or main course. Quick, easy, and incredibly tasty, this dish is sure to impress!
Why It’s Worth a Spot on Your Table
Sicilian stuffed sardines perfectly combines all Mediterranean flavors, making it an amazing appetizer or a tasty main course. Quick and easy to prepare, it has a unique taste that surprises and delights.
This dish is perfect to begin a memorable dinner, thanks to the unexpected twist raisins give it, and the crunchy texture of the pine nuts.
If you are a lover of sweet and savory dishes, check out this vegan pumpkin bruschetta!
Ingredients
Ingredients for 8 servings
- 1 lb sardines, butterflied without head or spines 400 gr
- 1 ½ cup bread crumbs (150gr)
- 5 tablespoons raisins
- 4 tablespoons chopped pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Chopped parsley
- Salt
- Bay tree leaves
- Juice of 1 orange
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Sardines
Sardines belong to the blue fish family, rich in essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, low in calories, and recommended as part of a healthy diet. For this recipe we will use fresh sardines butterflied without head or spines as the base for some rolls filled with breadcrumbs, pine cones, parsley and raisins.
Orange
Sicily is famous for its production of oranges: sweet and super tasty, they are known all over the world. We will be using orange juice to prepare this dish, since it gives it a very special taste: we will spread some on top of the sardines before putting them in the oven.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil is very important in Italian recipes, so it is important to choose your oil wisely. In Italian households you can usually find “regular” oil, which is used to cook, and then the special one, that is used to season soups, pasta dishes or salads before serving them.
Tips
- The ingredients here are for 8 servings, considering you will serve the Sicilian stuffed sardines as an appetizer. So, 4 rolls for each person should be enough, but if you want to serve them as a second course, you will need at least 6 or 8 rolls.
- Remember to soak your raisins for 10 minutes in warm or hot water before using them.
Step by Step Recipe
- Soak the raisins in hot water for at least 10 minutes. In the meantime, toast the bread crumbs in a pan until golden and chop the parsley.
- You can now prepare your stuffing: add to a bowl the bread crumbs, drained raisins, parsley, pine cones, minced garlic and salt. Then, add the olive oil and mix well. 6 tablespoons should be enough, your filling must be firm enough but not liquid.
- Now you can take a sardine, add a teaspoon of stuffing on one side and roll it over. Transfer your roll to a baking tray and continue until it is full.
- Add some bay leaves between the rolls, a pinch of salt and the orange juice on top and put everything in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 356°F (180°C).
- Serve your Sicilian stuffed sardines and enjoy their sweet and savory taste!
Are you looking for other main course recipes? I got you!
Recipe Card
Sicilian Stuffed Sardines
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb sardines, butterflied without head or spines (400 gr)
- 1 ½ cup bread crumbs (150gr)
- 5 tablespoons raisins
- 4 tablespoons chopped pine nuts
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Chopped parsley
- Salt
- Bay leaves
- Juice of 1 orange
Instructions
- Soak the raisins in hot water for at least 10 minutes, in the meantime, toast the bread crumbs in a pan until golden and chop the parsley.
- Add to a bowl the bread crumbs, drained raisins, chopped parsley, pine cones, minced garlic, and salt. Then, add the olive oil and mix well. 6 tablespoons should be enough, your stuffing must be firm enough but not liquid.
- Add a teaspoon of stuffing on one side of a sardine and roll it over. Transfer the rolls to a baking tray until it is full.
- Add some bay leaves between the rolls, a pinch of salt and the orange juice on top and bake for 15-20 minutes at 356°F (180°C).
- Serve your Sicilian stuffed sardines and enjoy their sweet and savory taste!
May I tempt you? Here you can find other Italian classics!
FAQs
Can I make it gluten free?
Of course! Just use some gluten-free bread to make your breadcrumbs and you are ready to go!
Can I use something else instead of pine nuts?
The original recipe is prepared with pine nuts, but if it is difficult for you to find them, you can use walnuts or almonds, maybe toasting them a little before using them. They will give the right amount of crunchy texture, without altering the final flavor.
How can I store this dish?
You can store the Sicilian stuffed sardines for up to three days in the fridge. You ca also freeze them, but there is the risk that the filling will become too soft.
Did I forget something? Don’t be shy and ask in the comments!
