Create a taste of Sicily with this traditional stuffed sardine recipe from Messina in Hung Hom

As one of the largest islands in Italy surrounded by the Mediterranean sea, Sicily is abound with plenty of seafood and, subsequently, unique seafood recipes. While pasta con le sarde (pasta with sardines) is generally known as the national dish of the island, another representative dish from the region is sardine beccafico, a stuffed and baked fresh sardine roll. This elegantly shaped creation actually resembles beccafico, a small, plump songbird that is commonly seen in Sicily. With its signature sour-sweet taste to balance the fattiness of the sardines, this is a fantastic dish to be served at the beginning of a meal to whet the appetite.

To find out the recipe behind this traditional Sicilian dish, we reached out to chef Francesco Greco, behind Italian restaurant Messina in Hung Hom, who showed us every detail; from how to scrape off the scales of the sardines to stuffing them. Watch our video recipe and you’ll be able to recreate this tantalising seafood starter at your next dinner party. 

Ingredients (per serving):

1 sardine

30g fresh white bread

15g flat-leaf parsley leaves

20g parmesan cheese

5g pine nuts

5g raisins

Orange zest, to taste

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Olive oil, to taste