Fresh sardines are always bursting with flavour, and here they are given a crunchy coating of lemon juice, olive oil, dill, garlic and mixed peppercorns, then grilled with aromatic rosemary.
ingredients
serves 4
8 large, fresh sardines, about
1 pound 2 ounce in total
1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
A small bunch of fresh dill
1 clove garlic
2 lemons
Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 crisp lettuce leaves
8 sprigs of watercress
method
1. Preheat the grill to the highest setting. Cut along the belly of each sardine with kitchen scissors, then pull out the insides. Rinse the fish inside and out, gently rubbing off the scales with your fingers. Dry the sardines on kitchen paper.
2. Crush the peppercorns with a pestle and mortar, or rolling pin, and put them into a small bowl.
3. Rinse, dry and chop the dill, peel and crush the garlic and add them to the peppercorns. Wash any wax from one lemon and finely grate the rind into the bowl. Add some salt and the olive oil and mix.
4. Rinse the rosemary Put a sprig inside each fish, then spoon over some of the dill mixture. Turn and coat the other side, reserving any leftover mixture. Leave the sardines to marinate for 5 - 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, rinse, dry and finely shred the lettuce leaves, rinse and dry the watercress and arrange on plates. Cut four wedges from the other lemon, remove any pips and put one wedge on each plate.
6. Thread each sardine lengthways onto a metal skewer, then grill them for 2 - 3 minutes on each side.
7. Slide the sardines off the skewers and put two on each plate on top of the salad. Spoon the reserved dill mixture over them and the salad leaves and serve.
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more information
If you have the time, you can spread the peppercorn paste over the sardines an hour or two in advance and leave them to marinate in the refrigerator.
