Pearl couscous salad with sardines
This recipe takes us to romantic Venice. Inspired by the famous local dish 'sarde in saor', which features sardines with vinegar-braised onions, pine nuts, and raisins, this version uses tinned sardines instead of fresh. Just as delicious and even easier to prepare.
Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onions for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the pine nuts and raisins, cook for 1 more minute, then deglaze with the vinegar. Stir in the thyme and let everything simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pearl couscous according to the packaging instructions, then drain it in a colander. Stir the couscous into the onion mixture and let everything cool to room temperature.
Toast the sliced almonds in a bit of oil in a skillet for around 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a sheet of kitchen roll to drain.
Now fold the spinach and sardines into the pearl couscous and onion mixture. Season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and sprinkle the toasted almonds on top.
