This is a delicious way to serve fresh fillets of the humble sardine. It gives them an additional crunch and a bold zesty flavour. I love to serve this dish with Dakos, the much loved Cretan delicacy of moist rusks topped with fresh, crushed tomato and extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with coarse sea salt and some capers in brine…
Ingredients:
1 kg sardines, washed, cleaned and butterflied
2 lemons, juice
½ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ cup water
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F). Layer the sardines in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice. Scatter the garlic slices. Sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper. Pour the water in along the sides of the baking dish.
2. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm or cold with fresh, chopped parsley.
There are many different fish you can use to make this dish — including anchovies — but the most common is sardines. The smaller the fish the better.
