The description and the Italian recipes of the sea fish 

  The sardines (sarde,sardine) : description and Italian names 

(Sardina Plicardus)

Sardines, or pilchards, are a group of several types of small, oily fish  related to herrings , family Clupeidae . Sardines were named after the Italian  island of Sardinia. Thy are small silvery fishes with a single dorsal fin located over the middle of the body, a forked caudal fin and a keel of large spiny scales along the belly. The snout is small with teeth. It lives in great schools widespread in all the Mediterranean area

On the market we find either in the most common size 6 in ( 15 cm) or in the larger size, called “sardoni”. Due to the fact that the scales fall off just after fishing if purchased in the shop they are always without scales, and then with a homogenous colour  grey-silver. If fresh the smell is strong but agreeable and the eye glossy. Many preparations require the fillets, for avoiding bones: as usually we don’t suggest to buy products sliced before selling, as it could be not fresh.

For cleansing at first scale and then eviscerate. For slicing cut both the head or the tail and open with a scissor all the belly, remove the bone and rinse under running water.

They are suitable for many preparations: deep-fried, baked, stewed. The Sardines have many nutritional powers and are rather cheap.

The Italian sardines: step-by-step photographed  recipes proposed by Italian Homemade Cooking

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