Grilled Sardines, Orange Fava
and Spicy Santorini Onion Chutney

Greece Is | June 30th, 2016

Sardine, fava and tangy chutney combine in a dish that captures the essence of Santorini

© © George Drakopoulos | Food Styling: Tina Webb | Artwork: Aggeliki Vrettou

Greece IsIn DepthGASTRONOMY

Inseparable partners in the island’s cuisine, meet in a new way for this dish but still complement each other perfectly.

Chef: Spyros Agious | Santoro, Grace Hotel

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

For the chutney:

½ medium onion, thinly sliced
25g freshly grated ginger
¼ tsp mustard seed
80g sugar
125ml Assyrtiko wine vinegar
50g brown sugar
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch Cayenne pepper
25ml balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the fava:

1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
½ small onion, coarsely chopped
1 small clove garlic
1 sprig of thyme
1 basil leaf
30ml olive oil
100g Santorini fava
400ml water
Juice of ½ lemon
Zest of 1 orange

For the sardines:

8 medium sardines
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Garnish:

Olive oil
Parsley tops

PREPARATION

Chutney

In a medium-sized pan, lightly sauté the onion. Gradually add the spices and then the sugar to caramelize them. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15–20 minutes until soft and well blended. Set aside to cool.

Fava purée

Place the fava in a fine strainer and rinse with plenty of water. Place a small pan over medium heat and sauté the vegetables in a little olive oil until soft. Add the fava to brown for a few seconds, stirring continuously. Add water and reduce heat. Add the herbs and simmer until the fava softens and thickens. While cooking, remove any foam that may appear on the surface with a spoon. When the fava is soft, the water should be at the same level as the remaining ingredients. Remove from heat, take out the herbs, add two tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cream the mixture in a blender. Add the zest at the end.

Sardines

Preheat oven to 220C. Fillet the sardines, wash and dry well. Season the fillets and place them in a small pan lined with greaseproof paper with the skin facing up, sprinkle with olive oil and bake for one minute.

SERVING

Using two spoons, form four egg-shaped balls of orange fava on each plate. Place the baked sardines on top of the fava and crown these with 1 tsp of onion chutney. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and garnish with parsley leaves.