Confit Cornish Sardines with Black Garlic Risotto

I like to confit fish as it keeps it nice and moist and is just a different way of cooking fish.

Butterflied Cornish Sardine fillets work really well cooking confit style although I do like to crisp up the skin afterwards with a blowtorch, or just pop under a hot grill just to crisp up the skin to add a bit of texture.

Black Garlic is available at many places now and has a fantastic taste, which really compliments the sardines very well.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 Cornish Sardine fillets – butterflied

• 500ml olive oil

• 5-6 Black Garlic cloves

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 litre of vegetable stock, I use a Vegetable Stock Pot, you could also use a vegetable stock cube

• 300g risotto rice

• A small knob of butter

• Seasoning

Method

1. In a processor add the Black Garlic cloves and a little bit of the oil and blitz until all chopped up, if you don’t have a processor then just chop nice and fine, and set aside for later.
2. Add the remainder of the oil to a saucepan and warm to 52˚C, once at the desired temperature place in 2 of the fillets, if you have room for more then add all 4.
3. Cook at that temperature for 10-15 minutes, you are looking for a change of colour in the fillets until they are opaque and no longer translucent. Once cooked remove from the pan and leave to drain on kitchen paper.
4. Lightly fry the onion in a heavy based pan until it is translucent and then add the rice and stir until all the grains have taken on the oil.
5. Add a ladle off the stock and stir over a medium heat until all the stock has been absorbed and then add another ladle of stock, keep repeating this process until the rice is nice and creamy, but still firm, at this point add the Black Garlic and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
6. Once the rice has reached the right texture check the seasoning and adjust as needed, add the small knob of butter and stir, if you find while you are waiting the rice becomes stodgy you can always add some more stock just before serving to loosen the risotto up.
7. Now crisp up the sardine skin under the grill or with a blowtorch and serve on top of the risotto.
8. I hope that you enjoy this dish as much as we did.