Was at my local fish market the other day picking up some dirty squid when I spotted fresh [Spanish] sardines. I haven’t had fresh sardines in a while. Canned, yes (am a devoted fan), but fresh, no (they’re not easy to find). I guess there aren’t many sardines on this side of the Atlantic?
When fresh, sardines are best simply grilled, finished with a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Superb! All I’m missing is a view of the sea.
Recently, I was listening to an episode of the Splendid Table with Portuguese chef and cookbook author [of My Lisbon] Nuno Mendes. He serves his grilled sardines alongside a salad of roasted green peppers and onions, on a slice of grilled sourdough to soak up the juices and an herb-y cilantro-parsley sauce. Yes to all.
I decided to give it a try. What can I say other than YUM!
Fresh sardines and two mystery fish that tasted a whole lot like sardines…
I had the fishmonger scale the sardines. You can debone them if you like, or grill with the bones intact. The bones are edible and a good source of calcium.
Grilled Sardines with Green Peppers
Adapted from My Lisbon
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
Flaky sea salt and ground pepper
Small bunch of cilantro, leaves finely chopped
Small bunch of parsley, leaves finely chopped
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice plus finely grated zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 green bell peppers
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
4 large, plump sardines, scaled, butterflied, backbone and pin bones removed
Grilled sourdough bread, to serve
Put the onion in a small bowl with a pinch of sea salt, add water to cover, and leave to soak for a few minutes (this will take some of the sharp bite out of the onion).
Mix the cilantro and parsley leaves and lemon zest with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir in the extra- virgin olive oil until you have a paste. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
Place the whole bell peppers directly over an open flame (on a gas range or grill), turning every few minutes with metal tongs, until charred on all sides. Place the peppers in a paper bag for 10 minutes (to help loosen the skins). With a chef’s knife, scrape the charred skin (don’t worry if a few charred bits stick). Remove the seeds. Slice the peppers.
Drain the onions and mix them with the peppers, white wine vinegar, and a few tablespoons of the herb paste. Leave to marinate until you are ready to serve.
Very lightly brush the skin of the sardines with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt [Mendes stuffs the sardines with bay leaves, lemon and lime zest, and chopped cilantro stalks; I opted not to do this].
Grill the sardines for about 2 minutes per side, until crisp on the outside and cooked through. Brush the slices of sourdough with olive oil. Grill until nicely toasted. Spoon some of the herb paste onto the grilled bread and top with a sardine, then add more paste. Serve the peppers on the side.
