Sardines a beccafico alla Messina are a popular and tasty Sicilian fish-based recipe . Perfect as a second course, they are an integral part of the island's culinary tradition, a grandmother's recipe that never goes out of style. So much so that it appears on the Sicilian menu on several festive occasions. But why are they called just that? Before moving on to the recipe, a little history.
Sardines a beccafico, history
What does beccafico mean ? The meaning of beccafico is linked to a nice little bird that loves to feed on figs and which was often and willingly served on the tables of Sicilian nobles abundantly stuffed and impeccably presented. Inaccessible, or almost, to the less wealthy, the latter thought it wise to replace it with a "poor" but rich in taste ingredient , sardines . That's why beccafico sardines.
What are beccafico sardines
Simply sardines rolled in a mixture of breadcrumbs, minced garlic and parsley, raisins, pine nuts, salt, pepper and olive oil. They are prepared widely in all the Sicilian provinces with small variations between one and the other.
The recipe for beccafico sardines Messina style
Unlike what happens in other provinces, where they are cooked in the oven, those of Messina are fried sardines a beccafico .
Ingredients
- about twenty sardines
- 150 g of breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons of grated pecorino
- 1 tablespoon of raisins
- 1 tablespoon of capers
- 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
- 1 clove of garlic
- fresh parsley
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation
- After having cleaned the sardines, open them like a book and wash them well. Then dry them and keep them aside.
- Prepare the filling: mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan cheese, the pecorino cheese, the minced garlic and parsley, the raisins, the pine nuts and the capers . Season with salt and pepper.
- Add some olive oil to mix everything well and stuff the sardines with this mixture, closing them like a book with a slight pressure.
- Fry them in hot olive oil on both sides until golden brown.
Beccafico sardines Palermo style
Palermitan-style beccafico sardines are seasoned with a filling of breadcrumbs, minced garlic and parsley, pine nuts, raisins, a little sugar, salt, pepper and plenty of olive oil . Then they roll up and bake in the oven.
Beccafico sardines Catania-style
In the Catania area, the sardines are seasoned with a filling to which, in addition to the previous one, some caciocavallo is added. The sardines a beccafico alla Catania are not rolled up, but arranged in layers on top of each other, two by two, then breaded and fried until golden brown.
Beccafico sardines Trapani-style
Anchovy fillets are added to the stuffing in Trapani. Once stuffed and rolled up, they are skewered to create skewers (alternating with half slices of lemon and bay leaves), then cooked in the oven.
Beccafico sardines in sauce
Once fried, the beccafico sardines can be placed in a saucepan containing tomato puree , in which cooking is continued. Beccafico sardines with sauce are the red variant of the dish.
