PORTUGUESE GRILLED SARDINES

Portuguese Grilled Sardines image

Number Of Ingredients 5

24 sardines, fresh, cleaned, heads and tails left on
1 cup salt, coarse (kosher or sea)
2 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (optional)
lemon wedges, for serving

Steps:

1. Rinse the sardines under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Sprinkle a third of the salt in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange half the sardines on top and sprinkle with half the remaining salt. Add another layer of sardines and sprinkle the remaining salt over all. Cover and let cure in the salt, in the refrigerator, for 30 to 60 minutes.2. Preheat the grill to high.3. When ready to cook, rinse the salt off the sardines and blot dry with paper towels. Brush the sardines with the oil and season with pepper, if desired. If you're worried about the fish sticking, use a hinged fish grilling basket otherwise, oil the grate and arrange the fish directly on it. Grill the sardines until their skins are lightly charred and the flesh is cooked to flakiness, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Remove to a platter with a long spatula and serve at once. Let diners remove the head and tail, and bones, too. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.Serves 6 as an appetizer, 3 to 4 as an entrée

Nutrition Facts : Nutritional Facts Serves