Summer Sardines

January 26, 2006

A neighbour has unknowingly kept me supplied with lemons since I moved house a few months back. She has two huge lemon trees and one just happens to hang over the fence by the kerb where I park. Lemons regularly drop onto the grass and I scoop them up as I pass.

I was a little offended one day before Christmas when I came home to find a chap from the next street on the footpath, bucket in one hand, stick in the other, knocking a few lemons down. My lemons. He quickly moved on and pickings were light for a couple of weeks but the citrus have started falling again.

Lemons are an important part of today’s dish. I happened to find some fine looking sardines at the fishmongers. Sardines – or pilchards as they are sometimes known – are cheap and tasty and a good source of Omega-3. If you can’t find sardines, either fresh or frozen, you can substitute small herrings, garfish or gurnard fillets, preferably with the skin left on. This dish can be served as part of a mezze selection, as an entrée or as a summer meal with salad.

Summer Sardines

12 sardines, heads, tails and bones removed but left as double fillets
2 lemons
olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 vine tomatoes, skinned, chopped and drained
a few sprigs of thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon chilli concentrate
salt and pepper
a handful of cherry tomatoes

Place the sardines, skinside down on a plate and sprinkle with the zest and juice of one lemon. Drizzle with olive oil.

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent and mix in with the breadcrumbs, chopped tomato, herbs and chilli. Season.

Spoon some of this stuffing onto the broader end of each sardine, roll up and secure with a toothpick. Place in an ovenproof dish and tuck the cherry tomatoes in here and there. Drizzle with oil and squeeze over some more lemon juice.

Preheat the oven to 250C. Bake for 10 minutes till cooked and sizzling.

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