Barbecued Sardines

Sardines bring back memories of long Mediterranean holidays, sharing plates of them in small seaside restaurants in Italy or Greece; always fresh, sweet, and perfectly simple. Though often enjoyed when dining out, they’re one of the easiest fish to prepare at home, needing only a little care and a love of flavour. Best of all, they remain wonderfully affordable.

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4 Portions

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Prep: 1 hour if whole, 10 minutes for fillets
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients

32 small sardines deboned, butterflied and descaled (if necessary)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbsp fresh oregano, roughly chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
zest of one lemon
100ml dry white wine
100ml dry white wine
Maldon salt or similar salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method

To prepare

Place all the ingredients except the sardines in a large tray. Mix until so that all the ingredients are well distributed.
Place the sardines in a single layer if possible, coating them well in the marinade (you may have to layer them dependant on the size of the tray). Cover and refrigerate, allow to marinate for at least 1-2 hours.

To cook

Heat a barbecue to a high heat.
Carefully place the sardines skin side down on the grill plates and cook for 1-2 minutes (dependant on size).
Gently turn over with a palate knife or fish slice and cook flesh side down briefly. The fish due to its size and marinating will need very little cooking.
Serve hot or cold with wedges of lemon and drizzled with a little olive oil.