We ate Sarde in Saor standing at a little bacaro in Venice, spritz in hand, picking up silky sweet-and-sour sardines with tiny forks while people spilled into the laneway around us. It was one of those perfect travel food moments where something simple becomes unforgettable.
If you’ve never had it before, Sarde in Saor is a traditional Venetian dish of lightly fried sardines layered with sweet onions, sharp white wine vinegar, currants and pine nuts. Bold, punchy and deeply savoury, it’s exactly the kind of thing that makes you immediately want another bite and another drink.
And the best part? It’s made ahead, making it perfect for entertaining or building an aperitivo-style spread at home.
Watch How to Make It
If you want to see it come together, I’ve filmed the full process here:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A classic Venetian cicchetti you can recreate at home
- Perfect for making ahead when entertaining
- Sharp, sweet and savoury in the best possible way
- Surprisingly simple despite feeling special
- Ideal as part of an Italian aperitivo spread
- Even better after resting overnight
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Ingredients Explained
Sardines
Skin-on butterflied sardine fillets are ideal here and easy to find from a good fishmonger.
Brown onions
This is not a token amount of onion. The onions are a major part of the dish, becoming soft, lightly coloured and jammy as they cook.
White wine vinegar
This dish is intentionally vinegar-forward in the traditional Venetian style. The sharpness mellows slightly as the sardines rest.
Currants
Traditional versions often use raisins or sultanas, but currants felt closer to the version I ate in Venice — smaller bursts of sweetness woven through the onions.
Pine nuts
Lightly toasted for extra nutty depth.
Bay leaf
Adds subtle aromatic depth while the onions cook and continue resting with the sardines.
How to Make Venetian Sweet and Sour Sardines
The sardines are lightly floured and quickly fried before being layered with a sweet and sour onion mixture made with white wine vinegar, currants and toasted pine nuts.
After resting for at least a few hours — ideally overnight — the flavours soften and meld together beautifully.
Serve at room temperature with a spritz as part of an aperitivo spread, or simply on their own as they’re often served in Venice.
Pro Tips
- Don’t rush the onions — they should be soft, jammy and lightly coloured rather than deeply caramelised.
- Keep the flour coating very light.
- Be gentle when turning the sardines as they’re quite delicate.
- The vinegar should taste slightly aggressive before resting.
- This dish genuinely improves overnight.
What to Serve With Venetian Sweet and Sour Sardines
This is exactly the sort of dish I’d serve as part of a proper aperitivo spread.
A cold spritz is the obvious match, but these would also be beautiful alongside my Marinated Octopus Salad with Celery, Capers & Olives and some Crispy Fried Whitebait for a seafood-focused spread inspired by Venice.
Storage / Make Ahead
This is an excellent make-ahead dish.
Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
The flavour improves as it rests, making it ideal for preparing the day before entertaining.
Always bring it back to room temperature before serving.
FAQs
Can I make this the day before?
Absolutely. In fact, it’s even better.
Can I use raisins instead of currants?
Yes. Raisins or sultanas are traditional, but currants felt closer to the version I remember eating in Venice.
Do I have to use sardines?
For true Sarde in Saor, yes.
Final Thoughts
There’s something about this dish that feels unmistakably Venetian — sharp vinegar, silky onions, salty sardines and a cold spritz somewhere nearby.
It’s the sort of food that encourages lingering at the table a little longer, preferably with good company and a few other small plates scattered around.
Simple, bold and made to be shared, Sarde in Saor is exactly the kind of recipe that brings me straight back to Venice every time I make it.
Venetian Sweet and Sour Sardines (Sarde in Saor)
Equipment
- large frying pan
- Tongs or spatula
- small bowl
- Paper towel
- Shallow storage container or dish
- serving platter
Ingredients
Sardines
- 250 g skin-on butterflied sardine fillets
- 125 ml ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup plain flour
- sea salt
Sweet and Sour Onion Mixture
- 2 large brown onions halved and thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 125 ml white wine vinegar
- 1½ tbsp caster sugar
- 50 g currants
- 30 g pine nuts
Instructions
- Place the currants in a bowl and cover with freshly boiled water. Leave for 15–20 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat for 2–4 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside.
- Pat the sardine fillets dry with paper towel and season lightly with sea salt.
- Spread the flour over a plate or tray and lightly dust the sardines, shaking off any excess.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Working in batches, fry the sardines skin side down first for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Carefully flip and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until just cooked through.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with a little extra sea salt while still hot if needed.
- Carefully pour off most of the oil, leaving about 2–3 tablespoons in the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the onions, bay leaf and a pinch of salt.
- Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions are soft, lightly coloured and jammy.
- Add the drained currants, caster sugar and white wine vinegar.
- Simmer for 2–4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the vinegar smells sharp.
- Stir through the toasted pine nuts.
- Use a shallow storage container or dish and spoon a thin layer of onion mixture onto the base.
- Arrange a layer of sardines over the top, then add more onion mixture.
- Repeat until everything is used.
- Cool completely, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove from the fridge 45–60 minutes before serving and transfer carefully to a serving platter.
- Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition
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I love sardines and I can’t wait to make this yummy recipe