Serves 4
Notes
When I was growing up in Istria, sardines were abundant, and easily found at the market in the morning. Frying or prepared in saor—a typical Venetian dish in which deep-fried sardines are marinated with onions in a sweetened vinegar—were typical preparations, but I loved them best (and still do!) baked in the oven with lots of fresh bay leaves. They are good hot or at room temperature and can be an appetizer, a full meal with some salad, or a snack when you have family or friends coming over for a glass of wine. Good dry white wine is the best with this; try some from the Friuli region, which makes some of Italy’s best whites.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh sardines, cleaned
- 3/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padano
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- Kosher salt
- 12 fresh bay leaves, plus a few more if needed
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Soak the sardines briefly in cold water. Drain them. Open up the sardines by running your thumb along the inside of the stomach cavity. Remove the entire skeleton, and scrape away any remaining small bones with a paring knife. Rinse again, and pat them dry. (You can also ask your fishmonger to do this for you if it seems intimidating.)
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Grana Padano, parsley, and thyme. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the oil, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss with a fork. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Make a bed of bay leaves on the bottom. (They should be close together, but don’t have to be touching.) Scatter the garlic over the top. Sprinkle with about a third of the crumb mixture. Lay the sardines open, skin side down, over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining crumbs. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Bake until the tops are crisp and golden brown and the sardines are cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves as you are serving.
