Grilled sardine skewers with pine-nut sauce and onion dressing

SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 6 HRS 50 MINS

“The ingredients in this dish are a classic combination from southern Italy, where an early-morning trip to the fish markets will yield the best sardines,” says Federica Andrisani. “We like to skewer the fish because it allows for more controlled cooking, so the centre is just warmed through and not overcooked.”

Pictured p109.

18 sardine fillets

(about 350gm), halved lengthways

50 ml extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp marjoram leaves, and fried shallots, to serve ONION DRESSING

1 kg onions, halved

100 gm currants

50 ml extra-virgin olive oil

PINE-NUT SAUCE 100 gm pine nuts 100 ml milk

50 ml grapeseed oil

1 For onion dressing, preheat oven to 110°C. Place onion in a casserole with 2 litres water or enough to cover, then cover and bake until tender (5-6 hours).

Strain liquid (discard onion), then transfer to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced to about 100ml and a sweet, sticky caramel forms (35-40 minutes). Dry-roast currants in a frying pan over medium-high heat until lightly roasted (1-2 minutes). Combine currants with onion reduction and oil. Season to taste and cover until required.

2 Roll up sardines, skin-side out, starting from tail end. Thread 6 sardine rolls onto each metal skewer, cover and set aside.

3 For pine-nut sauce, dry-roast pine nuts in a frying pan over medium heat, tossing frequently, until golden (2-3 minutes). Set aside to cool. Blend in a blender with milk until smooth, then gradually add oil in a thin, steady stream until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

4 Preheat a barbecue, preferably charcoal, to high or a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Combine oil and garlic in a bowl, then brush over sardines and season to taste. Grill sardine skewers, turning, until light golden and just warm in the middle (1-2 minutes).

5 To serve, spoon pine-nut sauce on plates then top with sardine skewers. Drizzle over dressing to taste and garnish with marjoram and fried shallots.

Wine suggestion 2017 Le Coste Bianchetto, Lazio, Italy.