Roasted tomato and sardine salad

Name: Roasted tomato and sardine salad
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes

Valentine Warner’s recipe for this roasted tomato and sardine salad makes for the perfect summer lunch.

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Put the tomatoes, cut- side up, in a roasting tin. Sprinkle over the salt, sugar, thyme and chilli flakes, then drizzle with the sherry vinegar and olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until soft. Cool slightly, then stir in the olives. Transfer to a serving plate.
Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds in a small, dry frying pan over a medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant and darkened ever so slightly. Set aside.
Just before serving, season the skins of the sardines with plenty of salt. Heat a little oil in a frying pan until very hot, then fry the sardines, skin-side down, for 2-3 minutes. The skin should be well coloured. Flip them over and cook for 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate.
Arrange the sardines on top of the tomatoes and olives. Scatter over the herbs, rocket and fennel seeds, then add the lemon zest and squeeze over the juice. Serve with slices of sourdough or crusty bread and flaked almonds to scatter over.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Put the tomatoes, cut- side up, in a roasting tin. Sprinkle over the salt, sugar, thyme and chilli flakes, then drizzle with the sherry vinegar and olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until soft. Cool slightly, then stir in the olives. Transfer to a serving plate.
Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds in a small, dry frying pan over a medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant and darkened ever so slightly. Set aside.
Just before serving, season the skins of the sardines with plenty of salt. Heat a little oil in a frying pan until very hot, then fry the sardines, skin-side down, for 2-3 minutes. The skin should be well coloured. Flip them over and cook for 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate.
Arrange the sardines on top of the tomatoes and olives. Scatter over the herbs, rocket and fennel seeds, then add the lemon zest and squeeze over the juice. Serve with slices of sourdough or crusty bread and flaked almonds to scatter over.

Fresh sardines taste wonderful with these sweet, sharp and herby flavours. They’re bony little fish, but most of the bones are small and soft enough to swallow. For fewer bones use fresh mackerel fillets.

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