Soy Sauce And Vinegar Flavoured Sardines Food

SARDINES IN VINEGAR (ESCABECHE)

Steps:

• Pat sardines dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet and add sardines. Cook on one side for about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over and cook on the other side for another 2 1/2 minutes, or until flesh is opaque and flakes when poked with a fork. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, toss together and scrape bottom of pan with a spoon to deglaze. Remove from heat and transfer to a ceramic baking dish.
• In a mortar and pestle, mash together garlic, a generous pinch of salt, saffron and ginger.
• Heat remaining olive oil over medium heat in the skillet in which you cooked the sardines and add onions and pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic mix, coriander seeds and bay leaves and continue to cook, stirring often, until onions are very soft but not browned (add a little salt if they begin to stick), another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining vinegar and turn heat to medium low. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add to dish with sardines. Toss together gently.
• Top sardines with lemon slices. Cover dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (as long as overnight). Before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

SOY SAUCE AND VINEGAR FLAVOURED SARDINES

Steps:

• Tear off the sardine head by hand, remove entrails and clean thoroughly in water.
• Pat dry with paper and cut into 2-3 pieces crosswise.
• Bring sake and vinegar to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan.
• Arrange sardines in pot, add ginger and simmer very gently for 10 minutes with a lid placed RIGHT ON the sardines.
• This is called the"dropped lid technique" and allows the flavours to distribute evenly, but stops the delicate fish breaking up.
• Then, add the soy sauce and continue simmering until scarcely any liquid is left.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.