Grilled Sardines in grape leaves

Name: Grilled Sardines in grape leaves
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 fresh sardines, cleaned and scaled, heads on or off; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; Lemon wedges, for serving; Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for serving; Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for serving; Extra-virgin olive oil, preferably garlic-flavored, for brushing; Extra-virgin olive oil, preferably garlic-flavored, for brushing; 8 large bottled grape leaves, rinsed; 8 thin slices lemon, seeded and halved; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood

By John Ash

Published 2023

About

The grape leaves add flavor and help keep the sardines from sticking to the grill or burning. A grill screen can be useful here. You can use this technique with any small fresh fish like anchovies, herring, small trout, or flatfish.

Ingredients

8 fresh sardines, cleaned and scaled, heads on or off
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 thin slices

Americas
United States
California
Fish course
Gluten-free
Pescatarian

Method

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. Brush the grill grates clean. Alternatively, preheat a broiler.

Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Place 2 sliced lemon halves in the cavity of each fish. Lay out a grape leaf, dull side up. Place a fish across the leaf near the stem end. Tuck the stem inside the cavity and wrap the leaf tightly ar