Nina Scardino Corollas Sardine Bread From Gwen Corolla Recipes

SICILIAN-STYLE SARDINE PASTA WITH BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• To a large skillet preheated over medium heat, add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan, and chopped garlic. When the garlic speaks by sizzling in oil add bread crumbs. Stir bread crumbs until deeply golden in color. Add parsley and a liberal amount of salt and pepper, about 1 teaspoon of each. Transfer bread crumbs to a dish and reserve.
• Return skillet to heat and add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan. Add sardines and red pepper flakes to the pan and saute over medium heat 2 or 3 minutes. Add hot, cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with sardines. Add bread crumbs to the pot and toss thoroughly to combine and evenly distribute the mixture. Taste, to adjust seasonings, and serve.

PASTA WITH SARDINES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• In a small skillet, toast bread crumbs in 2 tablespoons olive oil until golden. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Set aside.
• Simmer the fennel fronds in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and spread out on a platter to cool. Do not discard cooking water. When fronds are cool, chop finely with a large knife (or pulse in a food processor with a little of the cooking water).
• Put raisins and currants in a bowl and cover with the white wine and 1/2 cup hot fennel-cooking water. Add crumbled saffron and let ingredients steep together for 10 minutes.
• In a large skillet, stew the onions and diced fennel in 6 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add anchovies, ground fennel and coriander seeds, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in reserved fennel fronds. Add the raisin mixture and its liquid and bring to a simmer.
• Season the fresh sardine fillets with salt and pepper and lay them on top of the onion mixture. Put a lid on the pan and turn off the heat for about 5 minutes, so sardines cook through and are just done. Stir to distribute chunks of fish throughout mixture. (If using canned sardines, skip this step and simply stir them in.)
• Boil the bucatini in the fennel cooking water (add more water to the pot if necessary). Cook until noodles are on the firm side of al dente, then drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to pan with onion-sardine mixture, sprinkle pasta lightly with salt and gently toss together, adding a little pasta water to keep everything well moistened. Taste and correct seasoning; it should be well seasoned.
• Transfer to a large platter or wide pasta bowl. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, pine nuts and parsley. Garnish with lemon wedges. Add a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

SARDINE TOASTS WITH TOMATO AND SWEET ONION

Steps:

• Toast the bread under a broiler (on both sides) or in the toaster.
• While the toast is still warm, immediately rub it (aggressively!) with the cut side of the garlic clove, then spread toast generously with butter. Top butter with tomato slices and lightly salt them.
• Top tomatoes with sardines and then onion slices. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then season with more salt and pepper. Garnish with basil if you like and serve immediately.