A dear friend is on the mend after a hugely courageous battle w/the devil incarnate, the big C. On a recent visit we got to talking and reminiscing about fine or ‘better’ dining & a few of our favorite restaurants when I reminded him about my wish that we may soon visit Bacaro – the Venetian influenced restaurant. On Division Street which lives up to it’s name, dividing the LES & CHINATOWN. Bacaro I learn is where you go for small bites in Venice.
My friend who is Venetian begins to peruse the online menu, mumbling, “ Fried oysters, now No, that is not Venetian”. There was something else that got the Oh No, until he ran across the black squid ink pasta. I tell him that’s what I had when a friend brought me here for my birthday and it was killer.
This goes on a little while longer when he says, “ They have no Saor – pronounced and sounds like our word, sour. I immediately ask, “What’s that?” to which he replies, “A very traditional Venetian dish. My mother used to make for me that I love.” “So what is it? “. “Itsza fried sardines with melted onions and vinegar, left in the refrigerator over night and eaten at room temperature, often with polenta”
I looked up a recipe online immediately, top one in the, needless to say Google search, was an Italian recipe. As I’m reading through & now mumbling I ask, ” Well what about the raisins & pine nuts?” “No, I do not like that. My mother never made it that way.”
Shortly there after I was on my way w/a crisp $20 in my pocket to buy us some fresh sardines to make us Saor.
Here’s were another chapter or the podcast VO will come in – in the near future. Suffice to say, procurement of fresh sardines in January or maybe anytime of the year is almost analogous to trying to find or buy four leaf clovers. I learn this after calls to Dean & Deluca, 2 Whole Foods and then I call my Man Vito, the representative, sales man for the largest Sea Food purveyor in NYCity. Even after a conference call with a friend of his, Frankie maybe, a visit to Chinatown seemed to be the answer . Again, stay tuned here for updates about the podcast of this episode here.
I made my way down to Chinatown but not before arming myself with the word for sardines in Mandarin on my phone. My go to fish mart is on Grand & Christie. They know me because this is where I buy my quahogs & clams for my Clamdestinations Air B& B Experience.
I ask, you got it, “Do you have fresh sardines? While pointing at the hanzi on my phone. His head just shook No. Know anyone that might? No. “ when he points to the freezer case pointing and saying, “Fresh frozen”. I grabbed the 1#bag for $6.
Even tho he told me to Defrost in water I knew better. I had to work fast; sliced open the bag & poured the little smelly fishes into my blue bowl, in the fridge with a towel over them & the bag they came in – straight to the garbage. Even frozen their odor is almost impossible. It took a good full 24 hours until the sardines were ready to be worked with & work it is, I must have filleted at least 8 whole sardines. I’ll spare you the gory Dtails & entrails
The recipe is simple:
Ingredients:
1-2#s – (fresh) Sardines – Filleted
1 C Flour + 1 Ts Baking Powder
4-5 Onions
1 C Vinegar
Raisins & pine nuts – optional
What I did
Lightly dusted the sardine fillets in the flour & baking powder then fried them off in enough olive oil to well coat the bottom of the pan.
filleted sardines
lightly frying sardine filets
Cool & drain the fried fillets on (brown) paper Then very thinly slice at least 4-5 onions. I cooked these off in the same pan I fried the fillets in with a enough olive oil to well coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat until they are well melted at least 20 mins. then add a cup of vinegar. Continue cooking to well marry the favors. Let this cool.
Saor prepped ingredients
layered saor
Now begin to layer the fried sardines, then a layer of the onions, so on & so fourth. I got maybe two layers of each, fish & onions. Cover with plastic wrap. Weigh down any way you conjure up. 
Put into the fridge and forget about it for a day or two. After one full day, my friend couldn’t wait any more. I got the big thumbs up and a fabulous dinner at Bacaro, but here in Manhattan.
You can be sure this recipe will see a redux – as soon as I can get my hands on fresh sardines.
I’m not sure I’d try this at home. Not really a recipe for survival. It’s a nice food memoir per me.
Add the tomato chunks. 
This is the epitome of seasonal cooking because you’d only make this dish when you have access to heirloom or farm fresh tomatoes. We always took the bowl outside, covered the top with a kitchen towel & let it sit outside, not in direct sun but in a place that it would get warm. 
At the end of the day when we were ready to eat, we’d cook up the pasta, drain it, always reserving at least a cup of the cooking water – out of habit really, stir to coat well and that’s about it, OH, top with roughly chopped fresh basil.” Hol, do you use Parmesan? NOPE, I don’t, we don’t but Kim’s boy’s wouldn’t think of eating it or any pasta for that matter without heaps of Parmesan.” Thanks Hol. Have a great Labor Day wknd & I’ll speak to ya soon. I’ll be making bowls of pasta Ramatuelle.
