Sardines in White Wine (Sicily)

Fish

Ingredients

Fresh Sardines - 2 1/2 pounds

Salt

Salted anchovies, boned - 3

Butter - 10 tbsps

Pepper

Dry White wine - 1 1/4 cups

Cut off and discard the heads of the sardines. Slit the fish open and lay them flat. Take out the backbones and wash the sardines in cold salted water. Wipe them dry.

Wash the anchovies to remove the excess salt and pound to a paste with half the butter. Spread a little of this mixture over each sardine; take 2 sardines and sandwich them together. Repeat the procedure with the remaining sardines and anchovy butter. Butter an oven proof dish and arrange the sardines in one layer at the bottom. Cut the rest of the butter into slivers and dot over the top. Add a little salt and pepper, and pour in the wine. Cover the dish with wax paper and bake in a moderate oven (375F) for 20-30 minutes, or until the sardines are cooked through. Serve very hot in the same dish.

Serves 6