Simple Baked Sardines in Olive Oil
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
About 12 sardines (24 halves)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Waiting time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
- 500g/1lb fresh sardines (about a dozen sardines)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more if you need it for storing)
Step 1 - Fillet the sardines. Discard any sardines with "belly burn" where the guts has exploded and come out of the sardine. The best way to fillet a sardine is to run your finger down the belly of the sardine and remove the intestines and guts. Then remove the head and the spine. Don't worry about any little bones as they are very soft and can be eaten.
Step 2 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Lay the sardines on a oven proof tray. Mix the salt and sugar together and sprinkle over the sardines. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Then pour the olive oil over the sardines. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the flesh turns from pink to creamy. Place in sterilised jars* covered in the oil - add more oil into the container to cover the sardines if necessary.
*To sterilise jars, place oven proof jars and lids in a 180C/350F oven for 10 minutes.