Finish preparation before lighting up

Buy cleaned, gutted sardines or clean them carefully yourself. Do not leave fresh sardines unrefrigerated beside the grill. Cook similar sizes together and check especially small fish sooner. Dry skin browns more readily than wet skin. Heads may be removed according to preference, but the backbone remains during cooking and is lifted out when eating. Serve bread and a spare plate for bones; even small fish require attentive bone removal.

Handle small sardines gently rather than repeatedly moving them around the grate. Their thin skin tears more easily than that of larger fish. A fish basket can simplify turning if it does not squeeze them tightly. Add fresh lemon at the table so each portion gets the desired amount. Keep raw ingredients refrigerated; clean hands, utensils and surfaces after contact, and use fresh plates for cooked food.

The recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1¾ lb / 800 g cleaned sardines
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ¾ tsp fine salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 lemons
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 4 slices bread

Method

  1. Pat sardines dry and oil the outsides lightly. Season with salt and pepper. Halve the lemons and prepare the parsley. Keep the fish refrigerated until just before they go onto the grill.
  2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, with a direct cooking area and a separate unheated zone. Clean the grate before adding food. Keep the cooler side clear so pieces can finish gently or move away from any flare-up.
  3. Cook in an oiled fish basket over medium direct heat for approximately 3–5 minutes per side. Briefly grill the cut lemon faces without blackening them heavily. Toast bread separately.
  4. Check the thickest part with a clean food thermometer: fish should reach 145°F / 63°C. Timing varies with thickness and the grill, so use the suggested minutes to plan rather than as a doneness guarantee.
  5. Check the thick portions and cook through. Transfer to clean plates, scatter with parsley and let diners add lemon themselves. Look for fine remaining bones as the flesh is lifted from the backbone.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers, within two hours or within one hour above 90°F / 32°C. Keep at 40°F / 4°C or colder and use within three to four days. Reheat only the portion needed to 165°F / 74°C throughout; discard food left out beyond those limits.

Use grilling equipment only in its intended location and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Timing is not a substitute for checking doneness.