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Sardoni impanai

(Fried pilchards)

This dish, a Trieste favourite, is very nutritious and can be eaten cold, many people preferring it to more refined and sophisticated fish.
Sardoni impanai
Pilchards are similar to anchovies, and it is important that they are barcolani, meaning those caught in front of the Riviera Barcola. These are the biggest and considered the best.

Ingredients (for 4 people)
1 kg of pilchards
3 eggs
100 g of flour
200 g of breadcrumbs
1 litre of olive oil

Cut open and gut the pilchards, or ask the fishmonger to prepare them.

Pour the flour, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs into three separate dishes.
Coat the pilchards first with flour, followed by the beaten egg and, finally, the breadcrumbs, ensuring that they are fully coated.

Put the oil in a quite deep pan, heat the oil, taking care not to burn it, and start frying the pilchards. They will be ready when the batter turns golden.

Eat them hot or cold, accompanied (if you want to be a true Triestine) by a bowl of radicchio or matavilz (valerian) and of course a glass of chilled white wine - perfect by the sea!