Name: Soused sardines on toast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 300 ml white wine vinegar; 50 ml dry white wine; 2 tbsp caster sugar; ½ small Spanish onion, thinly sliced; 3 thyme sprigs; 1 fresh bay leaf; 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced, plus 1 clove extra, halved; 70 ml olive oil; 20 sardine fillets (45gm each); For dusting: seasoned plain flour; 8 thick sourdough bread slices; Parsley and lemon salad; 2 cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley; 2 lemons, seeds removed, segmented, juice reserved; 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Soused sardines on toast

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for soused sardines on toast.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

10M

Total

25M

Using tinned sardines, you can knock this up from the contents of a well-stocked pantry, but fresh sardines take it to a whole other level.

Ingredients

300 ml white wine vinegar

50 ml dry white wine

2 tbsp caster sugar

½ small Spanish onion, thinly sliced

3 thyme sprigs

1 fresh bay leaf

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced, plus 1 clove extra, halved

70 ml olive oil

20 sardine fillets (45gm each)

For dusting: seasoned plain flour

8 thick sourdough bread slices

Parsley and lemon salad

2 cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley

2 lemons, seeds removed, segmented, juice reserved

30 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Main

1.Preheat a grill to high heat. Combine vinegar, wine, sugar, onion, herbs and sliced garlic in a saucepan, season to taste, bring to the boil over high heat, set aside.

2.Meanwhile, heat 20ml oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Dust sardines in seasoned flour, shaking off excess, then cook in batches, skin-side down, until golden (2-3 minutes), turn and cook for another minute. Wipe out pan with absorbent paper between batches. Transfer to a heatproof, non-reactive dish large enough to hold sardines in a single layer. Pour over vinegar mixture and stand for 5 minutes.

3.Meanwhile, drizzle bread with remaining oil and grill, turning once, until golden and toasted (1-2 minutes each side), rub with cut-side of garlic and keep warm.

4.For parsley and lemon salad, combine ingredients in a bowl, breaking up lemon segments with your fingers, season to taste and toss lightly to combine. Serve with soused sardines and sourdough toast.