Stuffed Sardines with Sweet and Sour Peppers: Sarde Ripiene

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons almonds sliced
• 1  anchovy rinsed
• 1 cup bread crumbs 
• 1 teaspoon chile pepper crushed
• 2 tablespoons currants 
• 0.5 cup flat-leaf parsley fresh italian finely chopped
• 20  sardines fresh
• 2  garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1  bell pepper green seeded thinly sliced
• 2  lemons sliced into 10 round slices
• 0.3 cup olive oil extra-virgin
• 2  orange zest juiced
• 4 servings pecorino grated for garnish
• 2  bell peppers red seeded thinly sliced
• 1  onion red thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• mixing bowl

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Clean the sardines, leaving the head intact. Using your thumbnail, remove the spine from head to tail, careful to leave both head and tail intact. Rinse carefully to remove small bones. Set aside.
3. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and toss onions, garlic, and peppers.
4. Heat through.
5. Add vinegar and chile pepper stirring constantly, about 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Remove and pour into a large mixing bowl.
7. Add the currants, almonds, parsley, zest and half of orange juice.
8. Mix well and set aside.
9. In a separate pan add the 1/4 cup of olive oil, anchovy, bread crumbs and toss until golden.
10. Lay the sardines on their backs, open like books, and place a heaping tablespoon of the bread crumb stuffing in each one. Carefully pinch each sardine closed.
11. Pour the peppers and onion mixture into a 12 to 14-inch casserole and lay the sardines on top of vegetables with a slice of lemon on each.
12. Drizzle orange juice, place casserole in the oven and roast until just cooked through.
13. Serve family style with a sprinkle of bread crumb stuffing and pecorino cheese.