Sardines are a fantastic oily fish that are relatively cheap. They're wonderfully tasty and require little preparation. Ask your fishmonger to gut them and remove the heads. Sardines can take the smoky, fiery flavour of paprika and this recipe also works well with mackerel or herrings.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- 8-12 sardines, gutted and cleaned
For the tomato chutney
- 6 ripe plum tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 10g fresh ginger, finely diced
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp caster or granulated sugar
Method
- 1. First, make the chutney. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 20 seconds and put straight into a bowl of iced water. Peel, then halve the tomatoes, discard the seeds and chop into large chunks.
- 2. Heat the oil in a medium pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and cook gently for 8 minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar, and season with salt. Cook for a further 10 minutes, until wilted, then remove and set aside.
- 3. Preheat a large griddle pan. Mix the smoked paprika, soy sauce, oil and sugar together. Score the skin of the sardines with a sharp knife, then smother in the smoked paprika mix. When the griddle pan is smoking, cook the sardines for 2-3 minutes each side, until well browned and cooked through. Serve immediately with the tomato chutney.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 198kcals, 10.7g fat (2.2 saturated), 11.8g protein, 13.8g carbs, 12.3g sugar, 0.9g salt
Chef's tip
Simple, light Italian whites work well with oily fish. Go for a good-quality Soave or Pinot Bianco.