Sardinhas a Setubal / Portuguese Baked Sardines

Submitted by kiwidutch

"I am working though posting some recipes from my Portuguese cookbooks, this is adapted from Portuguese cooking by Hilaire Walden. I plan on making this recipe but if you make it before I do, I would appreciate the feedback."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 1⁄4 lbs fresh sardines (1 kg, cleaned & scales removed)
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1⁄4 cups tomatoes (peeled, seeded, diced)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion (finely diced)
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
• 4 tablespoons fresh dill (chopped)
• 1 cup dry white wine

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
2. Brush the fish with half of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Use the rest of the olive oil to grease a shallow oven dish.
4. Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, dill, a little more salt, pepper and the wine and spread evenly over the bottom of the oven dish. Place the sardines on top of the tomato mixture and spoon a little of the mixture over the sardines.
5. Bake until fish is cooked (depends on the size of the sardines) between 10-20 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[EyeGuy]

The Sardines were good. The tomato base had a wonderful flavor with minor modifications. Following on previous comments, I added about a 1 1/2 T of tomato paste and 1/4 t of Frank's hot sauce and subbed chicken broth for the wine. Served the base over Quinua (though rice would have worked well).

 

[Kitzy]

I must admit, I did change this recipe a bit after reading Kate's review. Instead of the wine I used vegetable stock, and I also added a tsp of tomato paste to the mix. It actually turned out rather well and certainly smelt lovely. I'd never had baked sardines before, and I definately think that this a good recipe to work around.

 

[Chef Kate]

I was looking forward to this but was disappointed. I followed the recipe precisely and the result was a very thin sauce which smelled great but tasted too much of wine and lacked body. My fellow diners agreed and so I had leftovers--I tried straining the sauce and reducing it but it still wasn't a flavor we enjoyed.