Grilled Lisbon Sardines

SkySaw

I went to the family superbowl party on Sunday, and my Dad had requested that I bring sardines! So I did these Portuguese sardines. They are a lot larger than the kind you get in the can. These sardines are about the size of a small mackerel.

Based on what I could find on the internet, these are best grilled over a hot fire, with only some olive oil and salt on them. You can gut them either before or after cooking, but apparently the Portuguese like them innards intact (more flavour that way).

So here are the Lisbon Sardines - I used frozen ones (bought at the local grocery store). Brushed with olive oil and kosher salt.




The way to eat these is to place the grilled fish on a bun, ideally with some roasted peppers and onions. I would be tempted to open the bun, brush it with olive oil and grill the bun for a minute as well, but since I had to transport these to a party, I just brought plain old (Italian) buns.



I grilled these at about 425º for 4 minutes per side. These are really very tasty. The grilling brings out a lot of smokey sweetness, so they are high on the old (or is it new) umami scale. They were a hit! Everyone (who ate one) commented how good they were.

One note - if you don't want to eat the whole fish (and no one did), it is extremely easy to separate the meat from the head, tail, bones, and innards with a butter knife prior to eating. Takes about 5 seconds and the meat comes off clean. One fish is enough for a large Italian bun.

These sardines are full of the good oils, and those oils start to drip into the lump when you flip, so watch out for flare-ups. I also cranked the Egg up to 500º for about 20 minutes after pulling off the fish to make sure there were no fishy odours left. I cooked some skinless chicken breast tonight and there was no sign of fishiness, so I guess that plan was sound.

Try 'em some time - hot and crispy off the grill with a grilled bun. Really easy - practically no prep (although I had to scale mine), and simple.

Mark

Hic

My hometown back up in MA host a Portuguese picnic every summer and these look just like the sardines that they would cook up. Good job, they look great!

Hoss

VERY interesting.Great post.

Florida Grillin Girl

So the fish was served plain on the bun? I googled it and there is not much info.

SkySaw

There are a couple of options for the sardine on the bun, based on what I've read:

Just the sardine on the bun,

Sardine plus grilled peppers and onions, or

Sardine on the bun, with a side salad of grilled tomotoes, peppers, and onions, or

Sardine on a bun with a bit of vinegar.

I broke convention and had a bit of Frank's red-hot sauce on one of mine, and it was a great match.

SkySaw

Keith - did you ever try one? Thanks for the visual confirmation. I've never heard of these umtil recently.

Mark

SkySaw

Thanks Hoss!

Woodbutcher

Thanks for the post Mark. I never heard of the larger sardines. I was picturing the little ones falling through the grid. :laugh: I'll br on the lookout for some in the near future.

[Deleted User]

Keith- would that be Fall River or NewBedford?

I have a coworker from FallRiver who got me a load of Chourizo and Liguica and some blood sausage- I forget what it's called.....
great stuff!

he also turned me on to these sardines!

[Deleted User]

Mark-Great Post!
I've been dying to try this cook since a coworker (portugese) told me about it last summer. My problem is I think I know of one store where I can get the sardines but it's kind of out of the way.

My friend told me pretty much the same thing you said- cook 'em whole and the guts come out easily and cleanly after cooking.

It sounded like an excellent summertime cook, so that's what I'm waiting for now.

Griffin

So you can eat the bones and all? I've never seen sardines that big nor do I think I've ever eaten a sardine.

SkySaw

I thought I was going to have a tough time finding these as well - they were at the first grocery store I went to. I don't know if these things are hiding in the freezer section of a lot of grocers, or if I was just lucky.

Mark

SkySaw

Sardine bones are kind-of like the texture of the bones in a can of salmon (they're crumbly in your mouth rather than prickly); so yes, it is common to eat them. I always eat the bones in canned sardines, although I just ate the meat off these grilled ones.

Mark

Lobicho

wooooow
greaat idea...
innards and everything they will go in next time...
now the hard task will be finding them in this city among mountains

Hic

Close, both those cities have a large Portuguese community too, but I'm from Milford, MA.

Hic

Yes - I remeber them being very boney too. I always went for the Tripe stew and some crusty bread - best you'll ever have! I think the Picnic is sometime in July.

[Deleted User]

I thought I was so smart! I know the summer neighborhood fairs/parties/picnics were big in New Bedford and FR so I took a shot.

My B.I.L lives in Medway

2Fategghead

How you doing Mark. Sounds like a great cook but, none of them around here. Mainegg recently posted smoked trout that sounded great. Guess I'll have to find a fish monger.

BobS

I am going to have to look for those this weekend.