Psari Savoro (Fish in Savoury Sauce) is a traditional Cypriot recipe for a classic dish of small fish in a vinegar sauce thickened with flour that is typically served as a cold mezedhes dish with drinks. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cypriot version of: Fish in Savoury Sauce (Psari Savoro).
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This is a classic Cypriot cold fish dish that is either served as a starter or as part of a mezze (mezedhes kriyi (cold mezedhes) dishes in Cyprus are snacks typically served with drinks and can be found in bars and taverna all over the island). For this dish, really small fish like sprats or anchovies are best. If using this size of fish there is no need to clean them, as they can be eaten whole after frying.
Ingredients
1kg small fish
sufficient lemon juice to cover the fish
250ml corn oil
120ml olive oil
250ml wine vinegar
500ml cold water
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp sugar
1 small sprig of fresh rosemary
210g plain flour
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Clean, scale and wash the fish then place in a non-reactive dish. Pour over enough lemon juice to cover then set aside for 30 minutes.
Season half the flour with salt and black pepper then use this to coat the fish. Heat the corn oil and olive oil in a wok or deep pan. Add the fish in batches and fry until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and arrange in rows in a dish.
When all the fish has been fired, strain the oil through a fine-meshed sieve then pour into a clean frying pan. Heat well then add the garlic and fry until golden brown. Stir in the remaining flour a little at a time, whisking constantly, and cook until brown.
Now mix in the vinegar, sugar, rosemary and water. Stir until the sauce thickens to a soft paste then remove the rosemary and pour the mixture over the fish. Set aside to cool then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (preferably over night) before serving.
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