Ingredients

• 1 kg sardines
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 onion
• 15 cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp mustard
• 1 chili pepper
• 2 Tbsp red and black peppercorns
• Salt, fresh ground pepper and oregano
• Optional 1 clove garlic for garlic lovers (I am not)

Preparation

Cut off the sardine heads and pull out the guts. Rab the soft, overlapping scales off the sardines with your thumbnail. Gently rinse the fish inside and out, under the tap. Season with salt and set aside for a half an hour.

In a food processor whisk olive oil and mustard. If you don’t want the chili pepper, then at this point use instead of chili pepper some hot mustard.

Pour over sardines and mix well. Lay them nicely in a baking pan. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, cut the onion into rings and chop the parsley and chili pepper. Peel the lemon and cut it in slices. Put everything in a bowl, add a little more oil, season with salt and add the peppercorns. When the food is baking, peppercorns smell strong, cover the fish smell and give a fascinating flavor. This was a surprise for me, but this is what happens. Sprinkle with oregano and stir.

Pour over the sardines and spread nicely. Add some water, about 1/3 of a cup.

Bake with high heat about 230-250°C or 450-480°F for about half an hour.

Enjoy!

Nanà…