Stuffed fried sardines

I had a grandmother piemontese DOC passionate about cooking and a parent tosco/DOC Ligurian sailor, son of fishermen for generations, with the same passion. From Dad I inherited some basic principles to cook fish. He had all his philosophy on certain fish: for example argued that the bream were fish for those accustomed to eat trout and polenta. He said that "the real" fish, that's good for the palate and the content was the so-called "poor" fish and sardines were part of the category.

I propose a recipe that he used to Cook during the months of February, March, a period in which the "gianchetti" Ligurian name of newborns of sardines that depending on the region they are called in different ways: whitebait, anchovies, cicineddri, cicinielli, sea foam, nudini, etc.

Today the "gianchetti" can also be found in the frozen products in all major supermarkets.

Rosanna

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Put the breadcrumbs soak in milk. Will flake off sardines with the help of a sheet of yellow paper (butcher) dampened passing repeatedly (without pressure) from the tail to the head, and open a book pulling the head to the tail on the side of the belly, so even the entrails. Be careful not to split the two fillets. If this should happen, however, the guests can use to reinforce the filling. Make sure that once you clean out in numbers equal to be coupled. Rinse and poggiatele, on a paper towel, then tamponatele to dry them well. 

Take the gianchetti and wash them carefully to remove sand and other impurities, drain them and put them to drain on a paper towel, then tamponateli to dry well. Put an egg into a bowl and tilted or bumped as well, add a pinch of salt, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, parsley, spoon spoon of basil, bread crumbs, milk squeezed clove garlic finely chopped, add the gianchetti, and with a wooden spoon stir well. If the dough is too soft, add the breadcrumbs.

Take now a sarda and pull it over babies with skin facing the table, place the center of the stuffing gianchetti and lean over the other, with the skin facing upwards

In a deep dish with a fork beat the two eggs left, and in a pan pour the breadcrumbs. Passed the "sandwich sardines" in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs

Pour into a pan of olive oil to which you add 2/3 lemon rind, the oil should be hot but not boiling. Place frying sardines causing them to Brown on both sides. When they are cooked, then Golden levatele from the Pan and put them to drain on a paper towel, add salt very little and then serve hot again.