Saor or savor is a traditional dish that used to be made in Umag’s kitchens with fried fish leftovers. It was a way to longer conserve the fish and ensure a meal for boat crews. The origins of this recipe go back far into the past. The fact that fried fish can be conserved longer was already known to the Roman cook Apicius, who wrote in his De Re Coquinaria cookbook from the 1st c. that the fish should be sprinkled with warm vinegar as soon as it was fried. The first complete sardines a la savor recipe was given in the Libro per cuoco book published by an anonymous Venetian (Anonimo Veneziano) in the 14th century.

In Umag, savor has traditionally been prepared according to the simplest recipe: fried fish, onions, olive oil, vinegar and herbs (rosemary, laurel or peppermint). There are different savor recipes, of course, depending on one’s taste. It is interesting to point out that in the Babić area, savor used to be made with tomatoes. ☺

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of sardines
• some flour
• 2-3 onions
• 1 dl of white wine
• 1 dl of vinegar
• herbs*
• 2 spoons of breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper
• frying oil

Procedure:

Clean, rinse and dry the fish. Dip it in flour and fry until golden brown. When fried, remove excess oil with a paper towel and place the fish in a container.

Sauté sliced onions in pre-heated oil. Once the onions are soft, add breadcrumbs, 1 dl of water and 1 dl of vinegar, and a branch of rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and keep sautéing for about 10 minutes.

Pour the hot marinade over the fish and when it cools down, put the dish in the fridge to rest, ideally overnight. The fish so prepared can be kept in the fridge for 7 days. According to a famous saying, savor is the best when it rests!

Suggestions:

Some sugar may be added to the marinade

or you may cook the fish in it for another 5 minutes.

Traditionally, onions, garlic and herbs were fried in oil together with the fish to keep all the flavours in, but today’s trend is to throw away the frying oil and use the fresh one.

Another option is to place fresh, not sautéed onions on the fish and pour the marinade on the top of everything. The quantity of onions is arbitrary; it depends on one’s taste. Also some garlic can be fried with the onions.

*Rosemary or a few laurel leaves. In Umag, the so-called erba de pesse (Mentha x piperita) i.e. peppermint, is used as well. Sometimes, pine nuts and raisins are added too.