Barbecue Sardines

Fresh sardines make delicious barbecued sardines that beat the canned variety hands down. They do not take long to cook and following the Portuguese tradition, there is no need to gut sardines, making this a very easy process. Barbecued sardines go well with white wine.

Ingredients

  • Sardines (amount as needed)
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Lemon to garnish
  • Shallot and fresh herbs (optional) if making garnish described under "Tips"
  • Salad with spicy dressing for accompaniment
  • White wine for accompaniment

Steps

  1. Select small sardines. These tend to be tastier than the larger ones.
  2. Salt the sardines Ensure that each sardine has a generous covering of salt.
  3. Leave sardines under the salt for half an hour.
  4. Transfer sardines to the barbecue.
  5. Barbecue the sardines. Keep a constant eye on the sardines - they must not burn.
  6. Remove the sardines from the barbecue when the silver color has turned to golden brown (about 2 - 3 minutes). Discard any burned sardines.
  7. Serve immediately. Garnish with slices of lemon or the shallot and herb mixture (see "Tips").

Tips

  • Shallot and herb mixture: If desired, you can also dress the sardines with a shallot and herb mixture, as portrayed in the photo above. Simply fry the shallots and fresh herbs in olive oil and in a cast iron pan until onion turns soft. The herb selection is your choice but thyme and oregano make great choices. Also add salt and pepper to taste and a little squeeze of lemon juice adds tang.
  • To add a light smoke flavor to your sardines, you may want to consider Golden Alder chips or chunks. For charcoal, toss a handful of chips directly on the coals just before adding the sardines. For gas grills, place chunks on grilling surface. When they start to smoke, add the sardines.
  • A salad with a spicy dressing makes a perfect accompaniment to this dish.
  • Alternatively, eat it as the Portuguese do, with (raw and finely chopped) garlic and parsley and (abundant) olive oil.

Related Articles

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Barbecue_Sardines&oldid=321432"