Salt whole sardines and grill over a hot bed for 2 to 3 minutes a side without moving them until the skin releases. Serve with lemon and bread. Oily fish is the most forgiving thing to grill.
Method
Salt and dry
Pat the sardines dry and salt them generously inside and out. Dry skin releases from the grate; wet skin sticks.
Clean, hot grate
Scrub the bars and get them properly hot. Oil the fish lightly, not the grate.
Do not touch them
Lay them over the hot bed and leave them for two to three minutes. They stick when they go on and release when the skin crisps.
Flip once
Turn carefully and give them another two to three minutes. The flesh at the backbone should be opaque.
Serve with lemon
Straight onto a plate with lots of lemon, olive oil and bread. Eat with your fingers.
Notes worth knowing
- Oily fish like sardines and mackerel are the most forgiving of all fish to grill; the fat protects them.
- A fish basket makes turning a dozen small fish far easier.
- Very fresh sardines are firm and bright-eyed. Tired ones fall apart on the grill.
Common questions
Do I need to gut sardines before grilling?
Usually yes, though some cooks grill them whole and ungutted for extra richness. Ask the fishmonger to gut them and it is one less job.
Why do my sardines stick and tear?
A cold or dirty grate, or wet fish. Get the bars clean and hot, dry the fish, and leave them alone until they release.
Cook these next
Whole fishWhole Fish Grilled Over Charcoal
A whole fish over coals is the simplest good thing you can cook, and the skin sticking to the grate is the only real obstacle.
Whole fishWhole Grilled Mackerel
Mackerel is oily, cheap and sustainable, and its richness stands up to fierce heat and sharp flavours better than almost any other fish. Score it, grill it, hit it with something acidic.
ShellfishCharcoal Grilled Octopus
Octopus needs two entirely different cooking processes: a long gentle simmer to tenderise, then a violent short char. Skip either and you get rubber.