Grilled Sardines Recipe

Grilled Sardines

serves 2-4

It's hard to argue with grilling sardines—probably the first and best method for cooking them. They're great with a squeeze of lemon and a little olive oil alone, but this slightly more involved sauce is worth the effort.

2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
10-15 fresh whole sardines, scaled and cleaned

prep: 10 minutes
total: 20 minutes

grill
mortar and pestle (or food processor)
bowl
tongs

1. Preheat the grill to high.

2. Meanwhile, combine the marjoram, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes and lemon juice in a mortar and pestle (or food processor). Pound them together until combined, or pulse them once or twice to combine. Stir in the olive oil. Put the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

3. Season the sardines on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill them until their skin is crispy and they're charred in spots, 3-5 minutes per side.

4. Drizzle the herb, lemon and olive oil mixture over the sardines.