ECONOMY OF SCALES

Delicious dishes with little fishes

SARDINE AND FENNEL PASTA

SERVES 4 EASY 1 HR 1 x 400g fennel bulb 3 x 120g cans sardines in oil 60ml (¼ cup) olive oil for frying 1 medium onion, finely diced 3 anchovies A pinch of dried chilli flakes (more to taste) 300g pasta (spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle) 60ml (¼ cup) sultanas Salt and freshly ground black pepper 60ml (¼ cup) toasted pine nuts, optional

Remove the fronds from the fennel bulbs and save those for a salad. Drain the sardines from the oil and roughly break the fish up with a fork and set aside. Dice the fennel bulb, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the fennel until tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion to the same pan, add more oil if needed, and fry over a medium heat until soft but not browned. Add the fried fennel and fry for a minute or so. Add the anchovies and break up with a wooden spoon then add the chilli flakes and give it a good stir.

Bring a big pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain the pasta, keeping a couple of tablespoons of the water and set aside. Add the sultanas to the fennel and a ladle of the pasta cooking water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sardines and continue to cook uncovered until the sardines are warmed through. Add the reserved pasta and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and stir to combine. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts if using.

FISH PÂTÉ WITH QUICK PICKLED RED ONIONS

SERVES 4-6 as a snack EASY 20 MINS

Pickled red onion:

1 small red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced A good pinch caster sugar 15ml (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar 15ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped dill (or parsley) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Pâté:

2 x 190g cans mackerel fillets or sardines in oil, drained 5ml (1 tsp) English mustard, hot or mild 50ml sour cream Pinch of chilli flakes A good squeeze of lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the pickle by mixing the onion, sugar, vinegar and dill in a bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Taste, add sugar, salt or pepper as needed, and set aside until ready to serve. Place all the pâté ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz to a paste and add salt if necessary. Serve the pâté on toast or crackers, topped with pickled onion.

CARAMELISED ONION AND ANCHOVY TART

SERVES 6-8 EASY 1 HR

50ml olive oil 1 fat clove garlic, crushed 750g large onions, peeled and thinly sliced 5ml (1 tsp) dried mixed herbs Freshly ground black pepper 225g self-raising flour 55g butter 60ml (¼ cup) finely grated mature hard cheese like parmesan (or at a pinch cheddar) 125ml (½ cup) full-cream milk 100g anchovy fillets in oil Pitted and halved black olives

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic over medium heat until soft; add the onions and herbs and cook uncovered over a medium-high heat for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. Season with black pepper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 210°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and stir in the cheese. Add the milk slowly and use a fork to make a soft dough that does not stick to the bowl.

Roll out into a rectangle on a floured surface. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll onto the lined baking tray. Use your hands to shape the dough to cover the baking tray and cut off any dough hanging over the edge. Spoon the fried onions on top. Drain the anchovies and arrange in a diamond-shaped pattern over the onion topping. Stud each diamond with an olive half. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tart is golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Cut into squares and serve immediately.