Think in taste, appreciate the ordinary

simply sardines

sardines are ubiquitous and tasty

Sardines

Humblest of the Mediterranean fish, probably also the most reckless one since it is caught in large quantities. Fishmongers never fall short on sardines. The ready availability made it a popular fish that remained in the popular kitchen for a long time. The salted sardines flavor many local dishes. And although still on the market, they are now usually replaced by anchovies.

Poor sardine

wonderful grilled sardines‘Licking the sardine’ is a typical Sicilian saying. Poor people rubbed a salted sardine on stale bread, to savor it. Pane cunzato is an emblematic and tasty remainder of this habit. It furthermore implies that the sardine was ever present, even in dire times. It was poor men’s food and apparently wealthy people ate them secretly since doing so somehow gave away possible plebeian origins.

Popularity 

The growing popularity of sardines is somehow disturbing: a simple fish, inexpensive and symbol of abundance became the source of omega 3 for health freaks. People started seeing their salvation in eating so-called oily fish rather than simply eating less and moving more. Prices soared and the poor sardines ended up on the table of the affluent, as shaved monkeys at a gala. In the masquerade of oily fish anchovies where given a nightgown and invited to the descendant’s pyjama party. Mackerel lay uneasy next to the black eggs of their vaguely related relative sturgeon whom they now had to call uncle.

Charade

Sarde alla beccafico is a popular Sicilian dish were sardines imitate  small birds (Sylvia Borin). Only the rich could afford to dine on such tiny fowl. Today the birds are left alone. It’s sardines for everybody. The new gained elegance clashes with humble origin.  One can make peace with that, even force a smile, but having to pay your sardines a multiple of the price because they are now sought after by people who give little or no value to money is a crying shame. Let’s hope that when the fashion comes to an end, prices will go back to normal.

Simply sardines

Roasted sardines are eaten all around the Mediterranean Basin, more or less in the same way. Usually the head is pinched off and the sardine is gutted. Some claim that the sardines should be eaten as they come. Salt and lemon are all one should add, although the lemon that often comes along with the fish is not seasoning but as to clean your fingers after eating. Please do not eat your roasted sardines using cutlery.

Cleaning sardines

Cleaning sardines is not all that difficult, it even has a therapeutic value to it, bringing you closer to what you actually eat. You can have them cleaned by your fishmonger as more and more people do. Don’t forget to mention how you want them cleaned or what are your plans with them: simply cleaned means that the head is pinched of and the guts are taken out. Good for roasting, baking or deep frying. An additional step is to take the main bone out. Necessary when preparing pasta with sardines, beccafico, fried filets and fish balls.

Fried sardine filets

It is hard to quantify how many sardines to prepare per person, it is, more than anything else, a question of decency and discretion: it is so very hard to stop eating them, so having a limited number would be advisable. 

Fish balls

sardine balls in tomato sauce that knock you right of your socksServe in tomato sauce and  they are a fabulous appetizer. They have, though, the potential to cover lunch, even dinner. Some bread to mop up the sauce and you’re in heaven. When preparing dinner, double the ingredients.

Sarde alla beccafico

sarde beccafico fishFrom a mockery dish to the signature dish of Sicilian culinary activity, a dish with a story, a dish so rich in taste it might perplex you. There are as many variations as people preparing it, so be free to improvise.

The name ‘beccafico’ recalls a minute bird (Sylvia Borin) found around fig trees. They used to be caught with nets and served on rich men’s tables; only well-fed people could find satisfaction in eating so little. By filling sardines and rolling them tail-up, poor people imitated the birds, the tail reminding the wings. It is rather laborious and requires a certain skill, so let it be a challenge to prepare or simply eat it when visiting Sicily.

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