Grilled Sardines 🐟 Dalmatian Style 🇭🇷 (Srdele na žaru)

Description

Fresh sardines, simply marinated and kissed by high heat—crisp skin, juicy flesh, sunny Adriatic vibes. 🌊🍋

Hook: Market-to-table in under 30 minutes—pure flavor, zero fuss. ⚡

Ingredients

• 🐟 Fresh sardines, scaled & gutted (16–20 small): 1 kg (2.2 lb)
• 🫒 Extra-virgin olive oil: 45 ml (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, very finely minced: 6 g (2 cloves / 0.2 oz)
• 🌿 Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped: 8 g (2 tbsp / 0.28 oz)
• 🍋 Lemon zest: 1 tsp (2 g / 0.07 oz)
• 🧂 Sea salt: to taste (≈6 g / 1 tsp)
• ⚫ Freshly ground black pepper: 1 g (¼ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🍋 Lemon wedges, to serve: 1–2 lemons (to taste)
• 🫓 Rustic bread or blitva (chard & potatoes), to serve: as needed

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Marinate: Pat sardines dry. In a bowl, whisk olive oil, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Toss sardines gently; rest 10–15 min.
2. 2️⃣ Preheat grill: Heat grill or grill pan to high. Oil grates lightly.
3. 3️⃣ Grill: Salt fish generously just before cooking. Grill 2–3 min per side until skin is blistered and flesh just opaque.
4. 4️⃣ Finish: Transfer to a platter; drizzle a little olive oil and squeeze lemon over. Serve immediately with warm bread or blitva.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook: 6–8 min
⏳ Total: 25 min

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