If you’re looking for something light and fresh-tasting, look no further than these Mediterranean-inspired grilled sardines and accompanying sides. A classic menu item in Spanish tapas, they are a quick, easy and flavoursome meal option, and pair beautifully with a Rioja or cold beer.
Ingredients
- 400g sardine fillets, butterflied
- 500g heritage tomatoes
- 30g basil leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
- 120g mixed petite leaves
- 100g rocket
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper, for seasoning
- 350g red onions or banana shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 lemons
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- Fresh parsley
Garnish
- Half a lemon
- Heritage tomatoes
- Fresh basil
Method
- Heat your barbecue or grill to its hottest temperature.
- Lightly toss the sardines in oil so that they don’t stick, and place on the hot grill.
- Cook for three to four minutes on each side. Once cooked, remove to a waiting plate.
- Add a squeeze of lemon, a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt to serve.
Serving options
Heritage tomato and basil salad
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil on the stove.
- Remove the tomato core and make a cross on the bottom.
- Plunge into boiling water for 10-15 seconds. Remove and place into cold water.
- Once cold, remove the skin.
- Cut the tomatoes into 1.5cm slices and place into a large bowl.
- Tear the basil leaves, discarding the stalks, and add to the tomato slices.
- Add 175g red onions/shallots, 100g olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the tomato salad onto a serving plate or bowl and serve.
Lemon salsa
- Peel the lemons by cutting off the ends, sitting them upright and cutting away the zest and pith from the top to the bottom, turning as you go.
- Roughly chop the flesh and remove any visible pips.
- Place the flesh in a bowl.
- Add 175g of sliced red onions or shallots, a crushed/chopped whole garlic clove, 5g of salt, 2g of pepper, 100g extra virgin olive oil and a dessert spoon of chopped parsley to a bowl.
- Mix together and leave to macerate for an hour.
