1/2 cup champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)

Cut the stalks off the fennel bulb and reserve the fronds for garnish. Halve the fennel bulb lengthwise. Using a Benriner (Japanese mandoline) or other vegetable slicer, shave the fennel into paper-thin slices; or use a large sharp knife to slice it as thin as possible.

To prepare the sardines, scrape off any scales with a blunt knife; cut off the fins. Cut off the head and tail of each fish and slit it open down the stomach. Pull out the backbone and the guts (a messy job but quite easy). Open out the fish and cut the two fillets apart. Rinse the sardines well under cold water to remove any blood, and pat dry.

Lay the fillets skin side up in a baking dish that holds them in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt, and scatter the shaved fennel over them.

Combine the vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, cinnamon and raisins in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and boil for 3 minutes. Pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the sardines. Let cool before serving. (The sardines can be refrigerated for up to three days; serve cold, or bring to room temperature before serving.)

Just before serving, scatter the toasted pine nuts and reserved fennel fronds over the sardines.

Recipe note: To toast pine nuts, spread them on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 F oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Pine nuts can burn easily so check on them frequently. Transfer to a plate to cool.

(Mario Batali is the award-winning chef behind twenty-five restaurants including Eataly, Del Posto, and his flagship Greenwich Village enoteca, Babbo.)