baked boneless sardines
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Sardines are easily accessible in Switzerland. They are not expensive and yet very nutritious, full of great vitamins, minerals, omega-3′s, and lean protein. The mercury levels are considered to be the lowest in this seafood. The easiest way to cook them is by grilling method but this time I wanted to try something different. I have combined two blog posts from two of my favorite Greek food blogs and came up to my own dish: Maria’s of Kali Orexi’s baked sardines recipe and Peter Minaki of Kalofagas’ clear directions of how to butterfly the sardines (i.e with scales and bones removed).
At dinner, My Peter confessed that he is actually not that fond of sardines but with the bones and scales all nicely cleaned, that’s a different story, he enjoyed the sardines very much that evening. I agree with him, it is less messy and you can enjoy your meal more elegantly!
Ingredients:
- 800g fresh sardines, butterflied and cleaned
- extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & ground pepper
- Pinches of dried Oregano (I do not have the Greek Oregano)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (only the leaves)
- 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- Pinch of crushed red chili flakes
- Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
How to butterfly sardines (with reference from Peter Minaki’s post):
- Using the back of your knife gently scrape the sardines to remove the scales. Cut the heads off and discard. Make a slit into each belly and cut all the way down to the tail and pull the guts out (some fish mongers may have taken out the guts for you already)
- Rinse the sardines and then place one sardine on a cutting board at a time (horizontally with the belly against the board) and gently push down along the spine until you’ve flattened the fish. Now turnover and gently pull out the spine. Repeat this step until all your sardines have been butterflied and boned. Rinse the sardines once again and allow to drain and pat-dry. Line them on a plate.
To cook:
- Preheat oven to 200ºC .
- Sprinkle some salt and pepper on both sides of the sardines and line them on an ovenproof dish.
- In a bowl, mix well the olive oil, oregano, thyme, garlic, red chili flakes and lemon juice. Pour this over the sardines and set aside of a few minutes.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 mins.
- Serve the sardines with green salad and some fresh bread.
Enjoy!
That is a mouthwatering dish! Believe it or not, I never bought fresh sardines… I’ll have to try using that fish.
Cheers,
Rosa
I have been eating more sardines recently. I buy those canned sardines (whole sardines with bones, immersed in spring water) and just love them in my homemade sardine curry. I want to try with fresh sardines in future, really.
.-= tigerfish´s last blog ..The Everything Rice Cooker Cookbook – Fall 2010 =-.
Looks beautiful and delicious….healthy too. I’ve neever bought fresh sardines. I hope to try this.
.-= MaryMoh´s last blog ..Chinese New Year Eve Family Happy Hours =-.
This is really healthy and so easy to eat
.-= noobcook´s last blog ..Mango Sago Pomelo 杨枝甘露 =-.
wow looks really good! Sardines normally comes with bones and that’s why I hate them. If someone’s willing to debone all my fish, I’d be happy to eat them =)
.-= pigpigscorner´s last blog ..Dim Sum @ Phoenix Palace, London [Restaurant Review] =-.
Janet, what a wonderful adaptation of Maria’s recipe and my tips on how to butterfly and debone sardines. Fresh sardines are delicious, sustainable source of fish, affordable and loaded with Omega 3 fats. Thank you so much for championing sardines.
Hi Peter, thx so much for your tips. I will try grilling them next time like yours : )
I’ve never seen fresh sardines in my supermarket
I would love to try this dish if I ever can find them!
Janet, I love what you’ve done with the sardines! They look great. And now you have me wanting to try them butterflied … it would indeed make them much easier to eat for me too!
.-= Maria ´s last blog ..Μελιτζάνα με Nτομάτα και Kόκκινο Kρασί =-.
Your sardines look fantastic! I wish I could get fresh sardines. You did a great job with them!
.-= lisaiscooking´s last blog ..Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Mascarpone Polenta =-.
I like eating sardines, but only those in tins, as we hardly find any fresh ones here. Lucky you.
Your dish is very tempting and delicious.
.-= Christine@Christine’s Recipes´s last blog ..Steamed Chicken Rice (冬菇蒸雞飯) =-.
I can only find the sardines in tins….and usually just prepare them with sauce or adding them to a salad.
Your baked sardines look truly yummy.
.-= Angie@Angie’s Recipes´s last blog ..Tomato Caramels =-.
I’ve searched for food bloggers in Switzerland and so I came across your blog. Wow, what a discovery. I like how you include dishes from lots of different countries. And since you live in Switzerland as well, I can be sure that I’m able to get the same ingredients
I reckon you’re into Chinese cuisine. Next time you visit Zurich, I recommend the restaurant Beyond.
.-= Jojo Krang´s last blog ..Simple Chocolate Painting Technique =-.
Thanks Jojo, u live in Zurich? Thanks for your resto recommendation. I recently discovered a Chinese resto that has dim sum in Zurich!!!!! Wanna try soon.
Your sardines dish looks great but neither my husband &nor I love sardines!
I always love seafood. I keep recipe like this and cook it over the weekend. Good post. Delicious and healthy meal!
.-= Jason´s last blog ..Home Page =-.
I’ve never tried cooking sardines, this recipe looks garlicky good! I must try it especially since they are locally available here in California.
.-= Sandy´s last blog ..Noodle Shop and Lounge at Heaven’s Dog =-.
Wow, this sardine dish looks fabulous…unfortunately I cannot find fresh sardine in the neighborhood.
.-= Juliana´s last blog ..CHICKEN SAUSAGE WITH BELL PEPPERS =-.
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I love the smell and taste of Oregano when added in some recipes..-’
Oregano is a great addition to everyday meals, i put them on soups and salads.,`.
i always use Oregano and other herbs on my soup and homecooked meals`~”
Wow that food looks amazing. I’m not normally a big fan of seafood, but that looks really good.