Sarde a beccafico
Sardines rolled around breadcrumbs, pine nuts, raisins and orange
Sarde a beccafico are butterflied sardines stuffed with toasted breadcrumbs, pine nuts, raisins, parsley and orange, rolled up with bay leaves and baked.
The story
The beccafico is a small songbird that aristocratic Palermo once stuffed and roasted. Ordinary families copied the dish with what the sea gave them: sardines, rolled so the tails stand up like the birds’ feathers. The stuffing is classic Palermo, sweet and savoury at once.
Ingredients
Method
1Toast the crumbs
Toast the breadcrumbs in 3 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat until golden. Off the heat, stir in the anchovies until they melt into the crumbs, then the pine nuts, raisins, parsley, orange zest, sugar and seasoning. Moisten with a tablespoon of orange juice.
2Stuff and roll
Lay the sardines skin side down. Put a teaspoon of stuffing at the head end of each and roll towards the tail, so the tail sticks up.
3Arrange
Pack the rolls tightly in an oiled dish, tails upwards, with a bay leaf between every few. Scatter over any leftover stuffing.
4Bake
Drizzle with the remaining oil and orange juice and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 15–20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips for success
- Ask the fishmonger to butterfly the sardines and remove the backbone.
Variations
- Catania style: open sardines are sandwiched in pairs with a cheesy stuffing, floured and fried.
Making ahead and storing
Keeps for 2 days in the fridge; serve at room temperature.
What to drink
A Grillo or an Etna Bianco.
Sarde a beccafico: your questions
What does beccafico mean?
It is a small bird, the garden warbler. The dish imitates the stuffed birds once eaten by Palermo’s nobility.
Cooked it? Show us.
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