Ingredients

• 150ml/5½oz olive oil
• plus extra for frying
• 4 onions
• thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 black peppercorns
• 150ml/5fl oz white wine vinegar
• 100g/3½oz raisins
• 100g/3½oz pine nuts
• 100g/3½oz plain flour
• 10 sardines
• scaled
• gutted
• rinsed and dried
• ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 50g/1¾oz baby kale
• 4 anchovy fillets
• finely chopped
• 1 red chilli
• finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• finely chopped

Directions

• Put 150ml/5fl oz oil
• the onions
• bay leaves and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Cook over a low heat for 15–20 minutes. Stir in the raisins and pine nuts. Add the vinegar and bring to a simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper
• cover and set aside.
• Mix the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Coat the sardines in the seasoned flour and place in the hot pan. Cook on both sides until golden. Transfer to a baking tray and cover with the onions.
• Cover the tray with cling film and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before serving.
• When ready to serve
• fry the baby kale with the anchovies
• chilli and garlic in a frying pan over a medium heat. Serve the vegetables with the sardines.