Grilled Sardines with Salsa Verde
A play on sardines on toast….
Fresh sardines are one of my favourite foods. Simply grilled with some lemon and olive oil and a chunk of warm bread and you really don’t need much more than a glass of crisp white wine. Such is the style of many of our restaurants I have to add a little something else and in this case I have done nothing more than serve them with a wonderful salsa verde or green sauce.
Variations on salsa verde abound, if you are not an ardent traditionalist then you can tinker with recipes until you find one which best suits you. One thing I never do is weigh/measure any ingredients. This is a sauce which should be made with feeling rather than written instruction. The ingredients I use are; fresh mint and parsley, garlic cloves, capers, anchovies (although I have sadly had to refrain from using them because of their horrendous shortage) a dollop of dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. I think about the taste and the thickness of the sauce I want to achieve and simply chop all of the fresh ingredients together and then bind them with the wet ingredients until I have a thick bright green relish like sauce.
I wrote about sardines on toast a while back, this one is a simpler version and ideal for our busy lifestyles.
Make this even if you haven’t got any fish to grill, smear it on grilled bread and thank me later. I’ve got sardines and bread so the bread is toasted and smeared with the sauce, the sardines just cooked under the grill seasoned with rock salt and pepper, splashed with fresh lemon juice and served on top of the bread. A really perfect light dish.
Sardines with Salsa Verde
You know, Miles, it’s been a very long day here and it’s about 5:30 PM and I’m starved. I have been treading water lately, I’ve been so busy. I come here and you have this wonderful photo, wonderful recipe and YES, I love sardines, too! This sounds amazing — with a little adjustment for the bread. Another thing I love about your recipes is the fact that you don’t measure and weigh ingredients. You give us the creative idea, the ingredients and a guideline and we get to go from there.
But, I have to say, I wish that dish of yours was ready and waiting at my table. I’m hungry, tired and a bit cranky right now.
Pass the wine!
Melissa
August 21, 2009 @ 12:28 am
Melissa,
I was bloody cranky writing it!! Time is not on my side either right now. It’s not fair
Miles
August 21, 2009 @ 8:00 am
That looks superb - I like this sort of stuff - never really eat it but I like it - go figure !
Rod
August 21, 2009 @ 8:11 am
Rod,
You could quite easily use tinned sardines in oil instead of fresh. The idea behind this post is the way the sauce compliments fish and toasted bread.
Give it a go!
Miles
August 21, 2009 @ 8:19 am
Miles,
Pass the wine indeed! I could massacre a plate of this right now, in fact I think I’ll try it out verbatim over the weekend. Ta, Guv’.
GDave
August 21, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
Miles,
Should salsa verde always be made fresh or will it keep?
I really like this and will try it. Thank you
Anne
August 21, 2009 @ 8:00 pm
GDave
Pass the wine-too right, keep it coming!
Miles
August 21, 2009 @ 10:44 pm
Anne,
It will keep for a good couple of days but it does lose its vibrancy. Best to make just what you need to be honest.
Miles
August 21, 2009 @ 10:45 pm