There’s arguably no dish as emblematic of Venice as sarde in saor. These sweet and sour sardines are dusted in flour, fried, and then preserved in vinegar and onions. Saor, means sapore, or flavor in the Venetian dialect, a befitting name for a dish that grows more flavorful the longer it sits.
The dish itself, which has humble origins, embodies the city’s maritime culture and trading history. The saor preparation prolonged the sardines' eatability, making it popular among fishermen and sailors, who would stock their vessels with it. Raisins and pine nuts, which reflect the city's history as a trading hub and major player on the Silk Road, were eventually added to the preparation – it tastes incredible.
You can find sarde in saor as cicchetti, the small plates served during the Venetian-style aperitivo, at the city's bacari (wine bars), or at restaurants as an appetizer or main course alongside polenta.
Back in the day, the saor preservation technique wasn't limited to sardines, having also been applied to eels and sole fish.
Sarde in Saor
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
Recipe: Joëlle Néderlants
Skill Level: Intermediate
Time 1 hour + 12 hours resting
Ingredients for 6 - 8 people
2 ¼ lb./1 kg. large sardines
2 ¼ lb./1 kg. yellow onions
½ cup/120 g. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp./40 g. pine nuts
3 Tbsp./40 g. raisins
4 tsp. sugar
4 bay leaves
flour 00
extra virgin olive oil
peanut oil
salt
pepper
Scale the sardines, then slice them open like a book, leaving the two fillets together along the back. Remove the head, entrails, and central bone. Rinse the fillets quickly then dab them dry with paper towels.
Heat plenty of peanut oil up to 350°F/175-180°C.
Flour the sardines and fry them for 1 minute. Drain them on kitchen paper, salt them lightly and place them in a deep serving dish.
Heat 4-5 Tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the sliced onions over low heat, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Continue cooking over very low heat for about 20 minutes. The onions must become very soft without taking on color. In the meantime, soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes.
When the onions are done cooking, mix them with the vinegar, then add the bay leaf, sugar, pine nuts, and soaked raisins.
Turn off and spread this hot sauce over the sardines. Cover the plate and refrigerate them overnight.
Remove the sardines from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving, accompanying as desired with slices of toasted white bread or polenta.