Marinated Fresh Sardines With Pickled White Beans

Using a sharp fillet knife, remove the heads, tails, and backbones from the sardines. Use fish tweezers to extract any remaining pin bones. Pat the fillets completely dry with a paper towel and arrange them in a single layer in a shallow glass dish.

In a small mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together the lemon juice, 45ml of extra virgin olive oil, thyme leaves, 3g of kosher salt, and black pepper until temporarily emulsified.

Pour the citrus marinade evenly over the sardine fillets, ensuring all pieces are submerged or coated. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cure.

While the sardines marinate, prepare the bean salad. In a medium glass mixing bowl, combine the rinsed cannellini beans, diced shallot, chopped Italian parsley, white wine vinegar, 30ml of extra virgin olive oil, and 2g of kosher salt.

Stir the bean mixture gently to avoid crushing the beans. Set aside at room temperature to allow the beans to absorb the vinegar and flavors.

To serve, spoon a generous portion of the pickled white beans onto the center of a chilled plate. Remove the sardine fillets from their marinade, shaking off excess liquid, and drape them elegantly over the beans.

Drizzle the finished dish with a few extra drops of high-quality extra virgin olive oil and garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley or thyme if desired.