Angela Hartnett's sardine escabeche recipe

This is a very popular French brasserie dish. The pickled vegetables are a fantastic way to cut the fattiness of the fish. Some people add white pepper seeds for a kick at the end, but I like to just stick with fresh coriander, which works brilliantly in this dish. (Serves two) 50ml olive oil 2 small onions, peeled and thinly sliced 4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 50ml white wine vinegar 4 sardines, gutted Freshly milled salt and pepper 1 bunch coriander, chopped Put 2 tbsp of the olive oil into a saucepan. Add the onions and reduce them over a medium heat for three minutes, until they are soft but not coloured. Add the sliced carrots, season and continue to saute with the onions for about five minutes. Deglaze with the white wine vinegar and cook for a further two minutes – the vegetables should retain a bit of crunch. Leave the vegetables somewhere warm and heat a spoonful of oil in another pan. Season the sardines with salt and pepper and fry on a medium heat for two minutes on each side. Mix the coriander in with the onions and carrots and serve the sardines on top. • Angela Hartnett is chef patron at Murano restaurant and consults at the Whitechapel Gallery and Dining Room, London. Twitter.com/angelahartnett