Grilled sardines
Instructions:
- Preheat a charcoal grill, barbecue, or grill pan until white-hot. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the bay leaves with the salt until you are left with a bright green powder. (This bay leaf salt is delicious on its own and can be used to season roast potatoes or grilled meats or fish.) Add the cardamom pods and continue to grind until fine. Sift the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, and discard any husks or pieces of stalk.
- Crush the garlic, dried chilies, and allspice, again using a pestle and mortar, and mix with the other spices in a bowl. Add the olive oil.
- Pat the inside of the sardines dry with paper towels, then rub some of the spice marinade over the inside and outside of each fish. Mix the lemon slices with the remaining spice marinade. Season with lots of pepper. Mix in the parsley. Stuff the sardines with the lemon and parsley mixture.
- Grill the sardines for 3–4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy on both sides. With small fish such as this, it is important not to overcook the fish—otherwise it will dry out. As the sardines are small and the grill or pan is hot, remember that the sardines will continue cooking when removed from the heat.
- Serve these fantastic little fish hot with wedges of lemon, a selection of salads, and lots of fresh bread. The salt, sourness, and heat of the spice marinade and the lemon slices cut the richness of the fish.