Sweet and sour sardines – or as we say in Venice Sarde in Saor – is a must-try recipe for a true Venetian culinary experience! I must confess that I fell in love with this dish during our long weekend there in 2016. Even though I am from the Veneto region, that weekend was so special that I have great memories associated with this dish.

Sweet and Sour Sardines consist of dusting sardines with flour, frying them in oil, and then marinate them overnight with shallow fried onions and vinegar. The pungency of the sardines is combined with the sweetness of the onion and raisins, the bright flavor of the vinegar and the crunchiness of the toasted pine nuts.

Usually this dish is called “cicchetto” in Venetian, there are different and numerous types of cicchetti ( plural noun for cicchetto) and Sarde in Saor is one of them. But what is a cicchetto? Cicchetto means small bites and you can taste them in places called bacari, or informal restaurants. In a bacari you can enjoy multiple delicious small bites and you wash them down with a glass of wine or, even better, a Spritz. This is something you can only find in Venice and it has its magic as these places are crowded and bubbling with people enjoying la dolce vita and sharing good times.

Why you will love this dish

– It’s easy to prepare, for a Venetian vibe right at your table.

– Sarde in Saor is a classic regional dish from the Veneto region.

– It’s a great combination of sweet and sour, salty and tart and the flavor is delicious.

– Great as an appetizer or an aperitif, but also a light lunch.

– You can cook it in batches and it will keep for up to a week

Where does Sweet and Sour Sardines come from?

Sarde in Saor is a dish that best interprets the relationship between Venice and the Middle East when boats returned to Venice with many different flavors and spices., that were then traded. Venice became a trading power in the Middle Ages and reached its peak in the Renaissance, becoming an important city at the epicenter of Europe.

In the past, this preparation allowed the preservation of the fish thanks to the combination of two basic ingredients, the onion and the vinegar. The vinegar ensured that bacteria were kept away; the onion enriched the dish with vitamin C, otherwise difficult to take for many people. The sweet and aromatic components were given by honey and a lot of Middle Eastern spices such as clove almonds, cinnamon, coriander and raisins.

Already in the XVIII century Carlo Goldoni, a famous Venetian writer, mentioned this recipe in one of his books that was slightly different from the past. Over the centuries, in fact, the recipe evolved, while vinegar and onions are still the 2 main components, the rest of the flavors disappeared leaving only raisins and pine nuts.

Sarde in Saor is the perfect combination between sweet and sour, salty and sweet, east and west, and I would say past and present.

How to prepare Sarde in Saor

Clean and gut the sardines, removing the heads and tails. Rinse them and pat them dry. Roll in flour and set aside and fry in EVOO until golden brown on both sides. Set aside. Soak the raisins in warm water for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 300°F (160°C) and toast the pine nuts until lightly browned. You may be able to do this in a skillet or small frying pan without adding oil.

Add some EVOO to another skillet and when the oil shimmers, add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Turn off the heat and cover the onions with vinegar until completely submerged. Add the previously soaked raisins and the pine nuts.

Take a deep plate and spread some onions and vinegar, cover the sardines, add more onions and continue until you have used all the ingredients. Cover and let it sit in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours before serving. It is better if you serve it the day after.

Slice diagonally a baguette in 1/4 inch thick slices, toast the slices of bread and serve them with the Sarde in Saor. MANGIA!

More recipes FOR YOU

Pasta con le Sarde

Spaghetti with clams

Pesto salad with shrimps and farro

Tuna Sicilian style

Zucchini & Yellow Squash Wholewheat Spaghetti with Tuna

Variations and substitutions

Like many traditional dishes, I wouldn’t change a thing about this recipe. It’s a classic regional dish, full of flavors.

Sarde in Saor Serving Suggestions

This recipe serves 6 people as an appetizer, followed by a main dish like Spaghetti with clams or Tuna Sicilian style, which also has quite an aromatic flavor.

It is enough for 3 people as a light lunch, followed by a green salad.

I definitely recommend to eat it with bread, to soak it up better the delicious sauce.

Storage suggestions

This dish will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Do not freeze.

Which wine to pair with Sarde in Saor

This dish goes best with a white wine that is fruity to balance the slight acidity of the dish. I recommend a Cortese di Gavi, from the Piemonte region. This wine is a perfect pairing for Sarde in Saor thanks to its notes of Meyer lemon, honeydew and shellfish.

Another great option is a Soave from the Veneto region. It’s a complex white wine that pairs well with a heavily flavored fish like sardines.