Baked sardines with jamon

Name: Baked sardines with jamon
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 red chilli, de-seeded and chopped; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 100g torn sourdough bread crumbs; 40g parmesan, grated; 25g small capers; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 24 large sardine fillets; 18 slices Serrano jamon; 

April 13, 2015

Baked sardines wrapped in jamon: serve with tomato chilli jam.Marcel Aucar

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

If more people ate more small fish such as anchovies, sardines, herring and mackerel, our diet and seafood sustainability would improve. Most fishmongers will have sardine fillets or can fillet them quickly for you on request. The stuffing I use in this recipe is an excellent contrast to the richness of the fish.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red chilli, de-seeded and chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g torn sourdough bread crumbs
40g parmesan, grated
25g small capers
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
24 large sardine fillets
18 slices Serrano jamon

Method

To make the stuffing, gently fry the garlic and chilli in one tablespoon of oil over a medium heat, add to a bowl with the breadcrumbs and mix in the parmesan, capers and parsley.
Put a sardine fillet on a cutting board skin side down, put a spoonful of stuffing in the centre and place the other fillet on top.
Wrap the sandwiched fillets with one and a half slices of jamon and repeat for the rest of the sardines.
Refrigerate for one hour before cooking. Pre-heat the oven to 180. Heat remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a baking tray and bake the sardine rolls on one side for three minutes then turn over and bake on the other side for three minutes.
Serve warm with tomato and chilli jam.
Tip: Use prosciutto as a replacement for jamon, and other small fish fillets instead of sardines.