Name: Grilled sardines with nasturtiums and rosemary tarator
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 12 whole sardines; 65 gm preserved lemon rind, rinsed and diced; 60 gm raisins, coarsely chopped; ½ cup each (firmly packed) mint, flat-leaf parsley and dill, finely chopped; For brushing: olive oil; To serve: nasturtium leaves (see note); Rosemary tarator; 50 gm sourdough bread, crusts removed, coarsely torn; 20 gm walnuts; 50 ml milk; 1 hard-boiled egg, coarsely crumbled; ½ cup each (firmly packed) rosemary, mint and flat-leaf parsley; 1/3 cup coarsely chopped chives; ¼ cup (firmly packed) tarragon; 2 tsp baby salted capers, rinsed and drained well; 4 anchovy fillets; 200 ml olive oil; 2 tsp lemon juice; Lemon dressing; 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil; Juice of 1½ lemons

“Rosemary will aid poor concentration and memory, headaches and anxiety,” says McEnearney. “Walnuts are high in fibre, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. I soak all nuts in water before I use them to make them more digestible.”

Ingredients

12 whole sardines

65 gm preserved lemon rind, rinsed and diced

60 gm raisins, coarsely chopped

½ cup each (firmly packed) mint, flat-leaf parsley and dill, finely chopped

For brushing: olive oil

To serve: nasturtium leaves (see note)

Rosemary tarator

50 gm sourdough bread, crusts removed, coarsely torn

20 gm walnuts

50 ml milk

1 hard-boiled egg, coarsely crumbled

½ cup each (firmly packed) rosemary, mint and flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup coarsely chopped chives

¼ cup (firmly packed) tarragon

2 tsp baby salted capers, rinsed and drained well

4 anchovy fillets

200 ml olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

Lemon dressing

50 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1½ lemons

Method

Main

1.For rosemary tarator, soak bread and walnuts in to soften (4-5 minutes). Squeeze excess milk from bread and transfer to a blender with walnuts. Add egg, herbs, capers and anchovies, blend to combine, then add oil in a thin stream to form a rustic sauce. Add lemon juice, season to taste and set aside. Tarator will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

2.For lemon dressing, whisk ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and set aside.

3.Snip the sardine backbones at both ends of the cavity and remove ribs with your fingers (they lift out very easily). Combine preserved rind, raisins and herbs in a bowl, season to taste, then stuff into sardine cavities. Season to taste with a little salt and refrigerate until required.

4.Heat a barbecue to high heat (McEnearney grills over charcoal), brush sardines with olive oil and grill to just char and cook through (1-2 minutes each side). Transfer to a platter lined with nasturtium leaves, spoon lemon dressing over and serve with rosemary tarator.

Note Nasturtium leaves are available from select greengrocers.
Notes

Mike McEnearney

Styling by Emma Knowles

Styling by Kirsten Bookallil

Ingredients

Method

Main

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