Sardines, courgettes and pepper

Name: Sardines, courgettes and pepper
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 12 fresh sardines, scaled and filleted; 4 tbsp flour, seasoned with a pinch of salt; 5 tbsp olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 dried chilli, deseeded and sliced (optional); 2 yellow peppers, deseeded and diced; ½ tsp salt; 3 small or medium courgettes, sliced; For the dressing; Juice of 1/2 lemon; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; Small handful of fresh, small basil, oregano, marjoram or mint leaves

Published: 31 Aug 05
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Healthy, colourful and summery, this sardine recipe makes a lovely light lunch.

Serves 4
Ready in 45 minutes

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Ingredients

12 fresh sardines, scaled and filleted
4 tbsp flour, seasoned with a pinch of salt
5 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 dried chilli, deseeded and sliced (optional)
2 yellow peppers, deseeded and diced
½ tsp salt
3 small or medium courgettes, sliced

For the dressing

Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Small handful of fresh, small basil, oregano, marjoram or mint leaves

Method

Dust the sardine fillets in the flour. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide frying pan and, when it’s just smoking, fry half the sardines for no longer than 1 minute on either side. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add another 2 tablespoons oil and fry the remaining sardines the same way. Set aside with the others.
Heat the rest of the oil. Add the garlic and chilli, if using, and reduce the heat. Add the peppers, stir in the salt and cook gently until the peppers are soft and starting to brown. This may take 15 minutes, so watch them. Once soft, add the courgettes and cook until soft and starting to brown.
Meanwhile, make a dressing with the lemon juice, oil and herbs. Take the cooked vegetables off the heat and mix with the dressing. To serve, lay the fish on a large plate and scatter the vegetables over them. Bulk it up with olives, anchovies or capers for a real Mediterranean feast.

Recipe from September 2005 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 624kcals
Fat: 40.6g (8.9g saturated)
Protein: 50g
Carbohydrates: 15.9g (3.6g sugar)
Salt: 1.6g

delicious. tips

Rub the scales off with your fingers under a running tap. Gut the fish the same way, then lay them flat, belly up. Starting from the tail end, gently prise the sides away from the backbone. When you get to the head, one swift pull of the spine will remove both bones and head.
You can serve this warm or make it in advance and dish it up as a salad.

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Sardines, courgettes and pepper

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

delicious. tips

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