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Epicurious

Sardines in the Algerian Manner

This is quite a lot of work, as fishmongers don’t usually bother to scale sardines, but it makes a very tasty mezze.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh sardines
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground chili pepper
Salt
2 eggs, beaten
Flour or fine dry breadcrumbs
Olive oil for deep-frying

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Wash and scale the sardines and remove heads and tails. Slit them open down one side only, and remove their backbones. Dip the sardines, open side down, in a mixture of ground cumin, garlic, ground chili pepper, and salt. Stick the sardines together in pairs, open sides together, trapping the seasonings between them.

    Step 2

    Dip the pairs in beaten egg, then in flour or breadcrumbs. Deep-fry in hot oil, being very careful not to let the pairs separate. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

  2. Variation

    Step 3

    For a Moroccan version with a mashed-potato stuffing: mash 1 pound boiled potatoes and mix with 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, and 3 beaten eggs. Add salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon paprika, and a pinch of chili pepper. Take a lump the size of a small egg. Roll it into a long oblong and press between 2 sardines. Dip in flour and deep-fry quickly in hot oil, then drain on paper towels.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
TagsNorth AfricanAfricanSardineFishSeafoodStarterDinnerNut FreeDairy FreeDeep FryCookbooks
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