Baked sardines

Recently I unexpectedly found some fresh, filleted sardines at Piedimonte’s. I realized that it was years since I last cooked my favourite sardines recipe with orange juice and pinenuts. In fact, I had not cooked sardines since my favourite fishmonger closed its doors. 

But once I was home and ready to cook, disaster! I couldn’t find any pinenuts and the orange I was going to juice was past its prime to say the least. But there is always a way! The orange quickly turned into lemon and the pinenuts to mixed peel and dried grapes. And voilà! The sardines were delicious and will be made again.

Ingredients

500 gr sardines (filletted and spread flat)

Bread crumbs (seasoned and with Parmesan)

1 lemon

1 tbs mixed peel

Handful dried grapes

Mode

Preheat oven to 180c

Place the sardines in ovenproof dish in whatever layout pleases you

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs

Juice the lemon

Pour over the sardines and breadcrumbs

Sprinkle on top the mixed peel and dried grapes

Cook at 180c for 20 minutes

Serve with crisp green salad

Barley soup for George IV #FLRoyalFood

This final recipe for my FutureLearn course is actually from Week 4, not Week 5.  For some reason in my local area there was a dearth of barley when I went looking for it initially - just an empty space on the shelves! The soup is essentially barley and beef stock and some greens and seasonings. We know from preserved menus that this is something that George IV ate when he was confined to his rooms at Kew Palace and only allowed to eat with a spoon.

 

I added spring onions and baby bok choi for the onion and greens, and pepper, garlic and ginger for the seasonings.  The original recipe suggested adding a handful of raisins, but I added dried grapes which probably did not have such a strong flavour. And the verdict?  Well, it could certainly be eaten with a spoon and it was fairly solid and nourishing. It tasted pleasantly enough, but I think I would prefer some stronger tasting greens and perhaps more ginger or chilli.  But I guess it was meant to be invalid food.

 

Ingredients

1 litre beef stock
250 gr pearl barley
4 spring onions
1 head baby bok choi
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp crushed ginger
Handful dried grapes
Pepper




Mode

Place the stock in a large pan suitable for making soup
Add the barley to the cold stock and bring to a boil
Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 45-60 minutes until stock is reduced and barley tender
Meanwhile chop the sping onions and bok choi
Crush the garlic and ginger
Remove the grapes from their stalks
Add the greens, garlic, ginger and grapes to the soup mixture
Grind some pepper on top
Stir to combine and simmer until the vegetables are cooked.
Serve with a spoon.