Grilled Portuguese Sardines

Ingredients

• 8sardines, whole, cleaned
• 2 tbspolive oil, plus extra to finish
• 3 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 1 tbsppaprika, plus extra to finish
• 1/2lemon, juice for marinade; extra wedges to serve
• 4 sprigsrosemary
• 1red chili, chopped
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1

   Mix the olive oil, garlic, paprika, lemon juice, rosemary sprigs and chopped chili together in a bowl, and season well with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Pour the marinade into a baking dish, lay the cleaned sardines in and turn them over until every fish is coated inside and out.

3. 3

   Cover the dish and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Any longer and the lemon juice starts to soften the fish.

4. 4

   Get a barbecue or grill pan properly hot over high heat, then cook the sardines for 4 to 5 minutes a side, until the skin blisters and blackens in patches and the flesh flakes away from the bone.

5. 5

   Lay them on a serving plate, trickle a little more olive oil over, dust with a pinch more paprika and squeeze lemon wedges across the top.

Nutrition per serving