These Portuguese sardines are an ode to summer. If I have to let go of summer, I must do it right, with herbs, citrus, summer squash and Mediterranean fish grilled to perfection. Sardines are a fishy fish and if you don’t have ventilation and you’re using an indoor grill (like a Cuisinart or Foreman) these guys have a way of lingering (sorry, neighbors). Working as a fish monger in high school got me over my fish prejudices very quickly. I scaled and and cleaned these like a champ and ate them with abandon.
Last time I tried making fresh sardines I baked them. They lost all structure and were unservable. Working cautiously and tenderly around my convalescing self-esteem, the wounded guest in the room, I put the sardines aside and vowed to try again next year. Well, if you follow the method in this recipe you will be greatly rewarded. I sprinkled them lightly with salt and pepper, drizzled them with olive oil and then grilled them to perfection. Create your citrus sauce with garlic and herbs (some of my favorite flavor combinations), and lay it all over a bed of grilled zucchini (preferably a giant one from your friend’s garden), serve with a sparkling rosé and you will feel like you are sitting along the Mediterranean, where the blue sea glitters, watching the boats go by with the breeze against your face.
This is what I love about cooking. It’s cyclical just like the seasons. With each change and each tradition that comes there is something new to learn. I plan to make Ngan’s challah this week as my first foray into bread-making and to give it as a gift. I’m very excited about this. There’s so much I love about fall, but it’s a season of contemplation, a dangerous thing for someone with artistic and self-reflective tendencies. From a certain angle, fall seems calm, warm and tender, the earth begins producing wonderful things that will get even better with winter. The waters are still warm, the days still inviting. Each night is redolent and composed, the coolness bringing the need for the comforts of light jackets and blankets. Yet, underneath it for me, there radiates a slight tension, as if my internal landscape has been built upon the skin of a balloon and someone is inflating it toward the breaking point. That someone is me, of course. I fear the winter and even though, in many ways fall is more interesting than summer, something like me sags like a sail as I drag myself towards acceptance and I have to paddle just a little harder to stay ahead of it. I’ve got some pretty great meals planned out with fall ingredients, some trips in the works to keep me connected to the world and a pretty cool routine to keep me grounded. And best of all, I’m armed with recipes like this one that can transport me to where I want to be in under an hour. Make this. Enjoy it. And if you don’t love sardines, I’ve got a sandwich in the works that will change your mind.
Grilled Sardines & Zucchini w/ Citrus, Herbs, & Chilis Adapted from Mark Bittman
Ingredients:
- 1 large seasonal squash
- 4 to 8 scaled, gutted whole sardines
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- 2 fresh red chilis, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch mint
- ½ bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch chives
- 2 sprigs tarragon
- 3 cups assorted citrus segments(orange, grapefruit, pomelo, etc.)
Directions:
Prepare a medium-hot grill.
Brush the sardines with a small amount of olive oil, and season with salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes.
Brush the chopped zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper as well.
Pound the garlic with a mortar and pestle until it is a roughish purée. Chop the herbs. Mix the chiles, garlic and herbs with enough olive oil and orange juice to make a thick, but pourable sauce. Add a pinch of salt, and taste.
Put the sardines on the grill, and cook until fairly brown and halfway done. Carefully flip them over, and grill on the other side. Larger sardines will take 3 or 4 minutes on each side, smaller ones about 2 minutes on each side. Grill the asparagus for about the same time. If you’re using an inside grill like mine (Cuisinart/Foreman) and don’t want to clean immediately, you can just bake the zucchini at 400F for 30 mins, covered while you’re preparing everything else).
Spread the citrus on a platter, and lightly season with salt. Place the hot sardines and zucchini on top of the citrus. Spoon over some of the herby chili sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Very Nice!!
Gracias y bienvenidos a regreso!
Gracias Querida!
Fresh and delicious.
Thanks so much 😉
I love sardines, especially with some allioli on the side 😉
Now that’s a great idea. So good. Somehow I knew you would like fresh sardines.
I used to go to an amazing old school bar in Barcelona, where if I remember correctly, they just served plates of sardines with wine or beer. It was ridiculously cheap for a plate of sardines and a bottle of wine – perhaps about €2-3! I’ll have to find it again and blog it 😉
That is awesome. Were they fresh or boquerones? I love that about spain.
Fresh, sprinkled with flour and fried in olive oil.
Sigh…
I loved reading your thoughts on the changing of the seasons! I have never tried sardines, but this recipe looks delicious!
Thank you. It’s definitely a bit of a struggle, but I enjoy it. Sardines are a fishy fish, but if you balance it out with citrus it’s actually wonderful. Thanks for your kind comment.
There was a time when i would not have considered trying this, but I would now. Looks great!
I’m the same way, Debbie. The more I cook the more adventurous I become. I still have my limits, but sardines are great.
Wonderful combination of ingredients and, yes, so Mediterranean. In the US sardines are not over fished, so they make good choices.
What makes cooking so interesting for me and, I see the same sentiments from you, is the challange to create dishes each season that contain what is in season. This way I never get bored and my creativity has a chance to grow.
I completely agree on all points, Jovina. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
this sounds perfect – balanced, and hits all those wonderful taste bud areas 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! I’m glad you liked it. I agree, it has to be balanced because there are some pretty strong flavors going on here.
I really enjoy reading your writing, you obviously have a gift in this area. Needless to say the sardines are also beautiful to look at, especially in that dark photo where you can really see their blueish hue. I honestly have the same feelings about the seasons but I don’t know that I would have been able to articulate. I am NOT a winter person even though I love coats and scarves and winter clothes, and I like stews and comforting “winter” foods. Very beautiful post!
Thanks so much. That means a lot. I agree with you, I like fall and winter fashion, hearty meals, fires and skiing, but it’s not like summer. It’s not quite depression but the feelings I described. We have to hold on to what we love about it all to get through I guess. Thanks again for your compliments. I think these sardines are just gorgeous. This meal was delicious. My husband was not a huge fan of the fishy fish though. He prefers salmon or branzino.
Same with mine, although we did have a sardine a while ago at Barnyard Restaurant here in Venice and we both couldn’t stop eating it . . it was crisped up really nicely I think in a wood burning oven and then set atop a toast that was drenched in some kind of wonderful sauce of capers, vinaigrette, pine nuts, raisins, and croutons served in a cocotte with more toast to lap up the sauce. So basically it’s a lot of bread, some delicious vinaigrette, and a bite or two of fish (with each hunk of bread that is!)
That sounds heavenly.
I love all the fresh herbs in this dish!
Thanks, Mary Frances. That’s my favorite part. So fresh.
Beautiful post. I am marking the Autumn with a lamb shank and bean concoction. More anon…
Thanks, Conor. A lamb shank sounds wonderful. And I love beans of all sorts. I have yet to really experiment with them. Hope to read about it soon 🙂
You left me mouth watering! Now I’m craving for a dozen of these beauties! Amazing recipe. Can’t wait for that Ngan’s challah…
Thanks so much. These were delicious. I’m sure you could make challah with your eyes closed. As you know I’ve been all talk about this bread and yeast business for months! I’ll report back!
I’ve never tried make challah bread!!! You’ll make that happen, I know…
I can’t say I like sardines but seeing them pictured, I am thinking of trout and remember that I almost bought some on Friday. Thankfully I didn’t because I forgot I was going to be out of town. Lovely post, picture and reminder that I need to grill a whole fish.
You’ll love your whole fish. Just get the right topping and it’ll speak for itself. I thought of you the other day. I hurt my back and it’s been a bit of a recovery process. I think you had some sort of surgery last year and endured the same. Maybe it wasn’t you but i’m pretty sure it was. I hope you’re well.
I admit: I’m not crazy about them. But you’ve made them look so beautiful, perhaps I should reconsider…
Ha! My husband did his best to eat them, while I thought they were fabulous. He’s a bigger fan of the milder thicker fish. I just have a weakness for certain fish. Blame it on my monger background!
Amanda, your presentation looks divine and I love your flavors and the presentation. I love fresh sardines too, I make a lot of Escabeche with them 🙂
Oh yum! I’m coming to your place. A woman of my own heart.
Hi Amanda! This sounds so delicious. I have never cooked sardines before. For awhile I didn’t think we had them available over here on the West Coast then I found fresh sardines at our Asian Supermarket but I haven’t bought any…yet. I love your citrus herb sauce. Just last night I happily sat on the couch last night with a light blanket. I love this cool weather! 🙂
Hi Seana, It really is great weather. There’s something imposing and deep about it, but comforting. Sardines are great, but I feel like you either like them or hate them. They’re worth a try. I fell in love with them 🙂 Enjoy the nice weather!
Very nice. As soon as I scrolled onto your post I new I would love it. I effing love sardines!!!
Awesome. I love them too. Can’t get enough.
🙂
Beautiful!
Thanks, Susan!
Ho-ho, grilled sardines! Always excellent. And you’re using an indoor grill! We need to swap blogging sessions some time–I want to watch you in action. This sounds delicious. Love the little salad on top of everything. And great fish on the sheet pan. Ken
Thanks. That’s an excellent idea about swapping sessions. I was actually thinking that I’d love to watch you guys cooking too. Definitely next time we come to Boston, but yall are welcome in my very very humble kitchen as well. I don’t think my neighbors were as happy about the sardines as I was.
Definitely delicious and woth to try recipe!!
pretty damn beautifully captured too….
everything definitely tastier with chili!!!
Thanks, Dedy. I totally agree about the chili! I think sardines are right up your alley! I can’t wait to try your confit.
I’ll admit, sardines aren’t at the top of my favorite food list. However, between your presentation, the zucchini, citrus and herbs…I’m reconsidering! This looks fabulous, Amanda…it’s a gorgeous and delicious dish all rolled into one. 🙂
Thanks so much, Nancy. I think all the extras are necessary because sardines are such a strong flavor. I knew I was testing some boundaries on this one, but it’s delicious. Thanks so much for such kind words. Enjoy your weekend!
Just so sad summer is ending, this is the perfect meal for that time. Really beautiful and fresh I may say. A good cold white wine with that and you could feel in heaven for sure
Totally, ed. Thanks for your comment. I went with rosé.. just as good. I agree about summer. I’m holding on!
Oh yes – and with the rose. Yes please to everything. The last time I had sardines (not counting those in a can) I was in a Portuguese restaurant in Montreal. They were served in a very similar way – but with a large side of homemade shoestring french fries. And yes, a large glass of white wine. A nice rose would be even more perfect. Heaven.
And the sheet pan – always – such a wonderful fixture in your blog. Pan envy….
xoxo
That sounds like such a wonderful meal, Lindy! Montreal is great. I’ve been obsessed with sparkling rosé all summer. Im still in denial. I just love the simplicity of Mediterranean cooking. Sigh. And the pan is one of the only surfaces I have. I put it on top of the burners because it won’t melt. Unless I take off work or a weekend my cooking will never see the light of day :/ thanks as always for your lovely comments.
I will eat anything you make, if only because the pictures are so gorgeous. Fantastic! Seems the right balance of so many flavors, textures, colors, etc.
Beautiful way to keep summer on the plate – Fish & herbs are just summer essentials! I can´t decide these days whether to let summer go and embrace autumn or lingering on by cooking all kinds of summer dishes…. again, great recipe!
Thank you, sabine. I feel the same way. I guess now that fall is official we can use the ingredients that overlap. ..
Beautiful beautiful! If only they smelled as good as they looked 😉 I love sardines but have definitely had the “total collapse” effect, where I was scraping bones and scales and fishy mush off the base of a frying pan … it still tasted nice but I need to follow your advice next time: grilling is the way to go, and precision timing!
Love the flavours you’ve put with these – definitely summery, but I know I’d enjoy it any time of year 🙂
Thanks, trixie! It’s true. I didn’t even know it could happen, the total comatose and bony mush of a fish. I learned. I’m so so glad I tried again. It only took over a year. They’re too beautiful to leave alone. So glad you like sardines too. This is a keeper for me# thanks for the kind words.
I love sardines like I love my husband: totally, without reservations. I will eat sardines any time, with any sort of flavoring, but I eat it often alone, simply steamed, and I bask in all its fishiness while I eat. You’re making my challah?! What an honor! I am rooting for you and it! I am sorry I have been away and silent for a bit now…it appears saying goodbye to summer was harder on me than I thought. But now I’ve returned and am looking forward to seeing your challah and this sandwich creation you allude to. Happy weekend my friend.
That is a great way to love sardines and your husband 😉 they really are great. The challah came out so well. I used a combination of recipes but your photos et so helpful. I know what you mean about summer. Ahh. Always nice to see you around.
Mmmm love fish! and that combination- sardines and citurs seems tempting for me!
I think you’d love these sardines! Thank you!