Sardines are not only a very healthy as they contain Omega-3 fatty acids as well as wealth of other nutrients including Vitamin D and calcium. They are also a good choice of seafood in terms of sustainability. We are learning more and more that eating smaller more numerous fish is better for the maintenance of the oceans biodiversity than eating their larger cousins such as salmon, cod and tuna. The more varied our choice of seafood, the more we give each species a chance to thrive.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
3 shallots (approx. 1/4 cup), finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
a small bunch of fresh marjoram
a small bunch of fresh parsley
1 cup yellow, red and green bell peppers, deseeded
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and deseeded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
juice of 1/2 a lemon
For the salad:
1 cup green beans, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
4 vine tomatoes, halved
extra virgin olive oil
4 fresh sardines, gutted and cleaned
To make the dressing, marinate the shallots in the red wine vinegar. Meanwhile, chop the herbs, peppers, and cucumber finely and mix together. Add the olive oil, fish sauce, and lemon juice. Drain the shallots and add them to the dressing, discarding the vinegar.
Cook the green beans or runner beans in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside.
Grill the tomatoes (salted and brushed with olive oil) for 3 minutes on each side. Set aside on a serving plate.
Raise the heat to high and grill the whole sardines (salted and brushed with oil) in the same pan for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Arrange the cooked sardines on the serving plate and drizzle over the dressing. Serve with the beans on the side.
