Sardines cooked on the barbie are a great summer treat – you can cook indoors too in a single pot
Prep:10 mins
Serves 6
50g plain flour10 sardines, scaled and cleaned (8 if large)zest 2 lemonslarge bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped3 garlic cloves, finely chopped3 tbsp olive oilglass white wine (about 125ml)2x cans chickpeas or butterbeans, drained and rinsed250g pack cherry tomatoes, halved
STEP 1Season the flour and scatter over a large plate. Dip the sardines in the flour, one at a time. Mix together the lemon zest, parsley and half of the chopped garlic and set aside.STEP 2Put a very large pan (a paella pan is ideal or a large sturdy baking tray with a lip) on top of the barbecue and heat until very hot. Add the oil, heat for a few seconds, then lay the floured sardines in the oil in one layer. Fry for 3 mins until the underside is golden, then turn over and fry for another 3 mins. Lift out of the pan and onto a plate.STEP 3Fry the remaining garlic (add another splash of oil if you need to) for 1 min until softened. Pour in the white wine, scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and boil for 1 min or until reduced by half.STEP 4Tip in the chickpeas or butter beans and tomatoes, then stir until heated through. Season with plenty of pepper and salt to taste, then nestle the fish back into the pan. Take off the heat, sprinkle with the parsley mix and serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the juices.
