Sardine Fillets in Lemon Sauce
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 min.
It's no surprise that the Aegean Islands have the most fish recipes in the Greeks cuisine. Sardines fillets in lemon sauce are a dish of the Cyclades and are often served as a part of a Mezedes. If possible ask your fishmonger to clean the sardines and remove the backbone. A job that is tedious and requires some surgical precision.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg (2 lbs) sardines, cleaned, heads, tail and backbone removed
- 1 lemon juiced and skin cut into thin slivers
- 250ml (1cup) Greek yoghurt or sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tbsp fresh green chili, seeded and cut into thin rings
- 1 medium size tomato, seeded and cut into coarse chunks
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
Brush a baking dish generously with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange the sardines side by side and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine lemon juice, Greek yogurt or sour cream, oregano, salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour the mix over the sardines. Scatter chili rings, tomato dices and the lemon skin slivers over the Greek yoghurt sauce.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Serve at room temperature as a stand alone appetizer or as part of a Mezedes. It can also serve as a light main dish accompanied by a green salad and freshly baked pita bread.