Sarde in saor

Marinating fried foods – particularly fish – in vinegar, onions and other sweet and sour elements is an ancient practice in Venetian cuisine, which holds the name of saor (literally, ‘flavour’). Today, the practice has spread to shellfish and vegetables, yet the most classic and popular involve sarde – sardines.

Now a year-round presence on Venice’s restaurant menus, sarde in saor is traditionally prepared on the occasion of the Festa del Redentore on July 15th.

Each household has a preferred way of preparing this dish: with white wine or just vinegar; with a touch of cinnamon; with pine nuts and raisins. The recipe below is how we make sarde in saor at home. It’s also the version I’ve shared in my cookbook, Veneto.