sardines baked in parchment with onions, celery and carrots

sardine al cartoccio con cipollotti, sedano e carote

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 15 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

Cipollotti are young spring and early summer onions. In the U.S., they are most often found at farmers markets. Their pleasing mild flavor is similar to leeks, which can be used as a substitute.

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Ingredients

4 cipollotti, green tops removed and saved for another use or
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, trimmed, keeping ends intact
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 large lemons
12 fresh sardines (about 2 to 3 ounces each), cleaned, leaving head and tail intact
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Special equipment: 4 (12- to 15-inch) squares of parchment paper or foil; kitchen string

Instructions

Heat oven to 450º.

Cut onions or leeks in half lengthwise (if using leeks, wash after cutting, then pat dry with paper towels).

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, cut-side down; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and remove from heat. Repeat with celery and carrots, adding extra oil, if necessary.

Using a sharp vegetable peeler, cut zest from 1 lemon in long strips, avoiding white pith. Cut away any remaining pith from zest with a sharp paring knife. Slice zest into thin strips. Squeeze 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons juice from lemons.

Put 3 fish in center of each parchment square and season with salt; drizzle fish with lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons oil.
Divide vegetables and lemon strips among squares. Working with 1 portion at a time, gather sides of parchment up over fish and vegetables to form a pouch, leaving no openings; tie tightly with string.

Put pouches on a baking sheet and bake until fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer packets to serving plates. Open packets, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

July 2009