L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 34 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES G rilled sardines with a hot pepper dressing make for a great appetizer or a light dinner. Every time I make this recipe, I reminisce about a trip to Italy when I was 10 years old. Back then there was no port in my dad's town of San Ferdinando, R.C, so being a seaside village there were always lots of fishermen and boats docked on the long sandy Mediterranean beach. I have such vivid memories of watching small fishing boats empty their nets filled with fish onto the beach, a childhood sight I will never for- get. You could see the fish glis- tening in the sun as they jumped around trying to avoid their inevitable demise while people quickly scurried to sort them and get them into pails so they could immediately be sold on the board- walk. Now that's fresh fish! I've gone out on a small boat with one of my uncles before and tried my hand at fishing in the Mediterranean – much different than taking your fishing pole to Lake Erie! Hand-made, hand-held reels of fish line with multiple hooks and just the right bait and weight to catch a few fresh sar- dines. I have to admit, a small lit- tle boat out in the Mediterranean and deep clear waters was a little scary but a great experience nonetheless! Sardines are a common fish eaten in many parts of Italy and around the world. Main fishing areas in Italy are the Adriatic coast and around Sicily but you can usually find fresh sardines in any seaside town in the various surrounding islands. Many believe the name 'sardine' came from the island of Sardegna - owing to the fact that at one time sardines were caught in abundance along the island's shores. To get them as fresh as possible you wake up early and go to the local piazza to see the local fishmonger. The fresh daily catch is on a first- come-first-serve basis. Sardines are part of a large fish family and there are actually 5 species that are quite indistin- guishable and are often classified as one. They are one of the most consumed fish yet remain sustain- able and extremely affordable. Sardines can be a healthy addition to any diet as they are rich in omega 3 fatty acids as well as sev- eral other nutrients. This little fish packs a lot of flavour whether it is in oil, smoked, canned, frozen, or prepared fresh. This simple and quick fish recipe is a classic in southern Italy and Sicily. Other popular sardine dishes include pasta with sardines, baked stuffed sardines, as well as floured and fried sardines which are all wonderful tasting. This grilled sardine recipe however, gives full attention to the flavour of the fish. No need to be dainty with these either - use your hands and lick your fingers! For this recipe we used frozen sardines which are readily avail- able in grocery stores. Yes, fresh is of course always better when obtainable so if you can, get them fresh and make sure they are still shiny and firm as they are a highly perishable fish. Once thawed, clean the fish by removing the scales, gills, and innards. The scales come off easi- ly by lightly rubbing them with your fingers under cold water. To remove the innards, use a sharp knife to make a slit from just under the head of the fish to the beginning of the tail and use your fingers to gently pull out and clean the sardine. It sounds disgusting but really, it's simple and they are small so we're not talking about a huge amount of cleaning! Rinse them, lay them out on paper towels and lightly salt them before grilling. These would traditionally be grilled over a little fire but for ease and availability we use the barbe- cue. The dressing is easy and uses some of the usual spice characters of Italian cuisine: hot peppers, gar- lic, oregano, and of course olive oil. A quick squeeze of fresh lemon just before serving and they are ready to go - eat them while they are hot! Ingredients • 750g whole frozen sardines, thawed (fresh if available) • 1/2 tsp sea salt For the dressing • 4 tbsp olive oil • 2 small garlic cloves, finely minced • 1/2-1 tsp chili flakes, or as much as you like • 1/2 tsp dried oregano • Lemon wedges Instructions 1. Heat barbecue to high. 2. In a separate bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together and set aside. 3. Clean, gut, remove gills and scales from the fish. 4. Pat dry and sprinkle with the sea salt. 5. Place sardines on the BBQ grill in a single layer. 6. Allow the skin to brown and crisp before flipping over, about 2- 3 minutes per side. 7. Remove to a serving platter. 8. Immediately drizzle with the hot pepper dressing and a squeeze of lemon. Serve and enjoy! Notes: Do not attempt to flip them until they easily release or they will break apart and stick to the grill! This simple and quick fish recipe is a classic in southern Italy and Sicily Sardines are part of a large fish family and there are actually 5 species that are quite indistinguishable and are often clas- sified as one ANNA ROMANO & ANGELA DESALVO Grilled Sardines with Hot Pepper Dressing

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