Umeboshi is said to disguise the strong fish taste and often cooked with sardines.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 sardine fillets
- 4 medium umeboshi pickles
- 4 aojiso (green shiso leaves), cut in half lenghthwise (optional)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumb
- vegetable oil for frying
Preparation:
Remove seeds from umeboshi and mash them in a small bowl. Place a sardine fillet skin side down on a cutting board. Spread 1/4 of mashed ume over the bottom half of the sardine. Line aojiso leaves on ume if available. Fold the sarine in half horizontally. Cut the stuffed sardines in half vertically. Cover the sardines with flour. Dip in beaten egg. Cover with panko. Heat oil for deep-frying to 340-350 degrees F in a deep pot and deep-fry breaded sardines until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.