Pickled sardines

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh sardines (ready to cook)
• 1 small fennel bulb (finely diced)
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 250 ml dry white wine
• 1 lemon (sliced)
• Salt
• 0.5 bunch parsley (including finely chopped leaves)
• 1 Garlic clove
• 125 ml olive oil

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the sardines and pat them dry. Cut along the belly, open them, and remove the spine with your thumbs.

2. 2.

   Sauté fennel, onion, peppercorns, 250 ml water, lemon slices, and wine for about 5 minutes until lightly simmering; season with salt, remove from heat, and let the fish soak in the broth for 1–2 minutes. Remove and cool, then place with the vegetables in a shallow bowl.

3. 3.

   Combine fennel mixture (without lemon slices) with olive oil, parsley, and pressed garlic; pour over sardines, allow to marinate for about 4 hours, turning occasionally.