Summer time, Summer wines, Summer food!
Cooking in the summer, transports me instantly to Carribean, Mediterranean, South Asia, North Africa etc.
I was thinking of sardines for a while, and to my surprise I found them at my local market unexpectedly, fresh, plump and ready to hit my pan.
The man behind the counter was recommending them highly, so I picked up 6 pcs,
already planning on my mind , the appetizer for the evening..
Once I got home I cleaned them up and butterflied them.
The next step I was mixing a cup of Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) with 1 tbs of sea salt, a pinch of Cayenne pepper powder and half tbs of Herbs du Provence.
I did coat the sardines with the bread crumbs, then stacked them on the side, before frying.
In a large sautee pan I heated up 1/4 Canola oil and 2 tbs of butter, adding a tbs of freshly chopped garlic. I gently fried the sardines on the both sides, then I transferred them on a paper towel to drain.
While the sardines were cooling of, I did put together a small salad to top them with.
I thinly shaved half fennel bulb then mixed it together with some chopped pineapple
( you can use orange or grapefruit instead), chopped fennel sprigs, pitted olives, lemon juice and olive oil.
The last step was plating them (as pictured) and served them
accompanied by a nice glass of Riesling.
Easy, fast and simple, but a very enjoyable dish.
