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Gamberi in saor (prawns 'in saor')
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Gamberi in saor (prawns 'in saor')

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time (does not include 1 day marinating time)

20

minutes

Marinating food 'in saor' is one of the oldest gastronomic traditions of Venice and it was invented as a method of preservation by Venetian fishermen who had the need to keep food on board for a long time or as long as possible.

The most famous Venetian food ‘in saor’ is sarde (sardines), which are often served as snacks in Venetian bacari. However, a more ‘delicate’ version - but still traditional - is also usually available, which makes use of the incredibly tasty mazzancolle (a type of king prawns) fished in the lagoon – prawns ‘in saor’.

Ingredients

  • 20 king prawn tails, peeled and cleaned

  • 2 large white (or brown) onions, thinly sliced

  • 100ml white wine vinegar

  • 1 tbsp raisins

  • 1 tbsp pine nuts

  • 1 tsp granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp fine sea salt

  • Plain flour, for dusting

  • Sunflower oil, for deep-frying

Directions

  • Heat the oil in a deep pan up to 180°C. Lighly salt the prawn tails, toss them in the flour to coat completely and deep fry them for 3 minutes until pale golden. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside to cool.
  • Add a couple of tablespoons of the oil used to fry the prawns to a pan and fry the onions with a pinch of salt on a low heat until they are soft and translucent. The should not brown.
  • Raise the heat slightly and add the vinegar and sugar. Let them bubble down for a few minutes to reduce the liquid a little. Add the raisins and pine nuts and remove from the heat.
  • Once the onions have cooled down a little, line the bottom of a clay or ceramic pot with a layer of onions, using half of them. Add the fried prawns and top with the remaining onion mixture. The prawns should be completely covered by the onions ('in saor').
  • Cover with cling film and transfer to the fridge. Leave it to rest in the fridge for at least one day before serving either at room temperature or warm.*

Notes

  • 'Saor' means 'flavour' in Venetian dialect. It is an ancient way of preserving food by frying it and then leaving it to marinate with onions in a sweetened vinegar solution.
  • *Ideally, the longer you wait to eat a food ‘in saor’, the better it tastes.