Grilled Sardine Skewers

Ingredients

What you’ll need

• 2 lbs fresh whole sardines (scaled, gutted, butterflied open, backbones removed)
• Chermoula Marinade
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Skewers (soaked in water if wooden)
• lemon wedges for serving

Method

How it comes together

1. 1

   Make Chermoula: Combine chopped cilantro, parsley, minced garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Whisk until it forms a thick paste.

2. 2

   Prep Fish: Lay butterflied sardines skin-side down. Spread 1 tsp of chermoula onto the flesh of one sardine, then sandwich it with another butterflied sardine (flesh-to-flesh).

3. 3

   Skewer: Thread 3 to 4 sandwiched sardines onto two parallel skewers (using two parallel skewers prevents fish from spinning).

4. 4

   Grill: Preheat grill or cast-iron grill pan to high (400°F to 425°F / 200°C to 218°C). Oil the grates. Grill skewers for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, flip gently, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.

5. 5

   Serve: Squeeze hot skewers with fresh lemon juice and serve with crusty Moroccan bread.