Turkish cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Sardine Vine Leaf Wraps

Sardines individually wrapped in vine leaves and grilled to keep them juicy and aromatic.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g sardines
• 24 vine leaves (from a jar)
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 organic lemons
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
• 1/2 bunch dill
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Scale the sardines, remove the heads and innards, lift out the backbone from the belly side and fold the fillet sides back together; pat the fish dry.
2. Rinse the vine leaves briefly in cold water, pat dry and trim off the tough stem ends.
3. Season the sardines inside with sea salt, Aleppo pepper flakes, pepper and a little chopped dill, and rub with 2 tbsp olive oil.
4. Place each sardine in the center of a vine leaf and wrap it tightly so the head and tail ends stay exposed; for larger fish, overlap two leaves.
5. Brush the parcels with the remaining olive oil and grill on a hot grill or in a grill pan for 4–5 min. per side until the vine leaves are dark and crisp in places.
6. Arrange immediately on a platter, sprinkle with the remaining dill and serve with lemon wedges – the leaves are eaten too.