Fried Sardines, Sunflower Tarator, and Lemon

Marinated, fried, or grilled, the sardines of Paris are plentiful and delicious. I especially love the airy, batter-fried sardines with a thick, garlicky sauce at Le Saint Sébastien. They are showered in yellow broccoli flowers as a very of-the-moment way to dress up the otherwise beige dish. The sardines of the Pacific Northwest would be very good, too, if we could get them in the fish market with any consistency. But they are hard to find, and so I usually satisfy my cravings with excelle