Introduction
Grilled sardines are whole fresh sardines salted, grilled over high heat until the skin blisters, and eaten with lemon, bread and a salad. Sardines are one of the cheapest fresh fish at the counter, they cook in under ten minutes, and on a barbecue they make an easy summer dinner for friends.
In Portugal, sardinhas assadas are everywhere during the June festivals of the popular saints, when Lisbon’s streets fill with grills. The English word sardine dates from the 15th century and may come from Sardinia, where the fish were once plentiful. Ask the fishmonger to scale and gut them. Oil the grill well and leave them alone until they release, or the skin sticks and tears.
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 fresh sardines (about 1 kg), scaled and gutted
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- a handful of parsley, chopped
- black pepper
- crusty bread, to serve
Tools
- A barbecue, or an oven with a grill
- A baking tray (for the oven grill)
Preparation
- Rinse the sardines under cold water and pat them dry. Sprinkle them inside and out with the coarse salt and leave them for 15 minutes.
- Heat the barbecue until the coals are glowing, or heat the oven grill to its highest setting with the tray on the top shelf.
- Brush the sardines and the grill rack or hot tray with olive oil.
- Grill the sardines for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skin is blistered and they lift off without sticking. Turn them carefully and grill for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the flesh comes away from the backbone.
- Scatter over the parsley and pepper, drizzle with a little more oil and serve hot with lemon wedges and bread.