Fried Sardines
Instructions:
- Fresh sardines are nothing like canned ones. Fried with a semolina coating, they make a light main course. Makes 4 servings
- 1â„4 cup olive oil
- 3â„4 cup all-purpose fl our
- 1â„4 cup semolina or fi nely ground yellow cornmeal
- 12 whole sardines, scaled and cleaned
- 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse-grained sea salt
- 1â„2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons, halved
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet, sauté pan, or wok set over medium-high heat until there are a few ripples across its surface.
- Meanwhile, mix the fl our and semolina on a large plate. Pat the sardines dry with paper towels, then dredge them in this fl our mixture, coating both sides evenly and thoroughly. Shake off any excess.
- Slip the sardines one at a time into the oil, holding them by the tails and lowering them slowly into the oil. Work in batches, if the skillet or wok is not big enough to hold them all comfortably in one layer.
- Fry until golden on both sides, turning once or twice with a metal spatula, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes, then serve each with a lemon half to be squeezed over the fi sh.
- To eat the sardines, use a fork to pull the meat down off the spine, pulling it off the tiny bones as you rake it onto your plate. Always check for bones before eating.