Fast Recipes

Sardine escabeche with white asparagus and orange salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller fast Spanish recipe for sardine escabeche with white asparagus and orange salad.

By Alice Storey & Emma Knowles
  • Serves 4
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Sardine escabeche with white asparagus and orange salad
Escabeche is traditionally cured overnight, but we’ve made a quick version here. You could also serve the sardines the following day.

Ingredients

  • 12 butterflied sardines
  • For dusting: seasoned plain flour
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
  • 1 Spanish onion
  • 350 ml sherry vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • 2 bunches white asparagus, trimmed
  • 2 oranges, thinly sliced crossways
  • 1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Main
  • 1
    Lightly dust skin-side of sardines in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Heat 20ml oil in a large frying pan over high heat, add half the sardines, skin-side down, cook until crisp (2-3 minutes), turn and cook for 30 seconds. Place carefully in a deep-sided non-reactive tray in a single layer, set aside. Wipe pan clean with absorbent paper, repeat with remaining sardines and oil.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, slice half the onion into thin rings and set aside. Coarsely chop remaining onion and combine with 300ml vinegar, garlic and paprika in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil, pour over sardines and set aside to marinate (10-15 minutes).
  • 3
    Meanwhile, blanch asparagus (1-2 minutes), then refresh, drain and halve lengthways. Combine in a bowl with onion rings, orange and parsley. Whisk remaining vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl to combine, toss through salad, season to taste.
  • 4
    To serve, remove sardines from marinade with a slotted spoon, drizzle over a little marinade, and serve with salad.

Notes

This recipe is from the October 2009 issue of .

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  • undefined: Alice Storey & Emma Knowles