Turkish cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Grilled Sardines

Aegean sardines grilled with coarse salt, served with arugula, onions and lemon.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 kg sardines
• 3 tbsp coarse sea salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 organic lemons
• 100 g arugula
• 2 red onions
• 1 tsp sumac
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Scale and gut the sardines, rinse in cold water and pat very dry; the heads may stay on, as this helps keep the fish together on the grate.
2. Rub the fish all over with the coarse sea salt and let rest on a rack for 10 min. so the skin dries and later turns crisp.
3. Bring the grill to high heat, rub the grate with an oiled onion half and brush the sardines with 2 tbsp olive oil.
4. Lay the sardines close together on the grate and grill for only 2–3 min. per side, until the skin blisters and chars slightly; they fall apart easily, so turn them with a wide spatula.
5. Cut the red onions into thin half-rings, knead with sumac and a pinch of salt and mix with the arugula.
6. Arrange the hot sardines on the salad, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges.