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

Name: Grilled Sardines 🐟 Dalmatian Style 🇭🇷 (Srdele na žaru)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Balkan
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

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Fish and Seafood Balkan RichardObradovic Sep 18, 2025 73

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Image for recipe: 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

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.
2️⃣ Preheat grill: Heat grill or grill pan to high. Oil grates lightly.
3️⃣ Grill: Salt fish generously just before cooking. Grill 2–3 min per side until skin is blistered and flesh just opaque.
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

Nutritional Value

🔋 Energy: ~290 kcal
💪 Protein: ~27 g
🧈 Fat: ~19 g
🍞 Carbohydrates: ~0 g
🧂 Sodium: ~520 mg

Advice

Salt right before grilling—early salting draws moisture; late salting gives crisp skin and juicy flesh.

Why it works

High heat sets the skin fast, preventing sticking; a brief oil-based marinade carries garlic-parsley aroma and protects delicate fish from drying.

Twist

Broiler method: Grill on a preheated sheet under the broiler 3–4 min/side when outdoor grilling isn’t possible.

Herb-citrus: Add 1 tsp minced rosemary and swap zest for orange for a sweeter coastal note.

Spicy: Rub with ½ tsp Aleppo pepper or hot paprika before grilling.

Status

Adriatic on a plate—charred, lemony sardines you’ll make all summer. #grannyzen #balkanseafood 🌊🐟

Menu

Granny Zen Galaxy Kitchen 🚀