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1
Butterfly and clean the sardines
14 minutes
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Rinse each sardine (600 g) under cold water and pat dry. With a sharp knife, cut along the belly, open the fish flat, and lift out the backbone and guts in one pull, leaving the two fillets joined at the back. Snip off the head if you like, or leave it on as the taverna does.
Work on a board you can rinse — sardine scales and guts are slippery, and a wet board makes the knife slide.
Done when: Fish opened flat like a book, backbone and guts removed, skin intact.
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2
Season and oil the fish
3 minutes
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Lay the butterflied sardines skin-side down on a tray, brush the flesh with half the olive oil (15 ml of the 45 ml), and season with the salt (2 g) and black pepper (1 g). Let them sit for 3 minutes while the grill heats.
Oil the fish, not the grill — the oil on the flesh stops the skin sticking.
Done when: Fish lightly oiled and seasoned, grill heating.
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3
Make the ladolemono
3 minutes
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Whisk the remaining olive oil (30 ml) with the lemon juice (30 ml), minced garlic (6 g) and oregano (2 g) in a small bowl until the sauce turns cloudy and thick. This is ladolemono, the lemon-oil sauce for the fish.
Whisk the sauce just before serving — it separates if it sits, so whisk it again if it splits.
Done when: Sauce cloudy, thick and well mixed.
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4
Grill the sardines
8 minutes
High heat 230°C (450°F)
Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat until very hot, about 230°C (450°F). Lay the sardines skin-side down and grill for 4 minutes without moving them, then turn once and grill 4 minutes more, until the skin is crisp and golden and the flesh is opaque and flakes easily, reaching at least 63°C (145°F) inside.
Do not turn the fish before the skin has set — it will tear. One turn only.
Done when: Skin crisp and golden, flesh opaque and flaking, no translucent raw flesh left.
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5
Rest and serve
2 minutes
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Lift the sardines onto a warm platter, spoon the ladolemono over them, and serve at once with lemon wedges and bread. Eat while the skin is still crisp.
Serve the sauce on the side as well as over the fish, so everyone can add more.
Done when: Hot sardines on the platter, sauce spooned over, skin still crisp.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Eat the sardines hot off the grill, spooning the ladolemono over each one as you eat. The skin should be crisp, the flesh moist, and the lemon sharp — with bread to mop up the sauce.
Greece
2h
