Grilled Sardines with Green Peppers

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

Herb Paste
Small bunch of cilantro, leaves finely chopped (reserve the stalks!)
Small bunch of parsley, leaves finely chopped
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
Flaky sea salt and ground white pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

Onions & roasted peppers
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 green peppers
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

4 large, plump sardines, butterflied, backbone removed, and pinboned

4 bay leaves

4 strips lemon zest 4 strips lime zest

Toasted bread, to serve

Preparation

Make the herb paste
Mix together the cilantro and parsley leaves and lemon zest with a generous pinch of salt and white pepper. Stir in the extra- virgin olive oil until you have a paste.

Prepare the onions & peppers
Put the onion in a small bowl with a pinch of sea salt, add water to cover, and leave to soak for a few minutes. (This will break the onion down a little so that the flavor is not as strong.)

Preheat the broiler to high, then broil the peppers until the skin is blackened all over, turning them a couple of times. Transfer to a container and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Once cooled, peel, seed, and thinly slice the peppers. Drain the onions and mix them with the peppers, white wine vinegar, and a few tablespoons of the herb paste. Leave to marinate until you are ready to serve.

Prepare & grill the fish
Gently open the sardines and stuff them with the bay leaves, lemon and lime zest, and chopped cilantro stalks, and season well with salt and pepper. Brush the skin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until crisp on the outside and cooked through.

Finish & serve
Spoon some of the herb paste onto the toasted bread and top with a sardine, then add more paste. Serve the peppers on the side.

SOURCE: The Splendid Table – originally excerpted from My Lisbon by Nuno Mendes