Ingredients

  • Lemons 2
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • SpinneysFOOD Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 90ml
  • SpinneysFOOD Dried Oregano 1 tsp
  • SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt To taste
  • SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper Freshly ground, to taste
  • Sardine fillets 8, fresh
  • SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil 4 tbsp
  • Capers 2 tbsp
  • SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour 100g
  • SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley A handful
  • Baguette or crusty bread 1

Nutrition (Per serving)

  • Calories 604
  • Fat 4137g
  • Saturates 5.3g
  • Protein 19.3g
  • Carbs 42.9g
  • Sugars 2.6g

Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated."

Lemon-marinated sardines with crispy capers

Italian 12 Mins Prep ยท 10 Mins Cook


  1. Zest and juice 2 lemons. Mince the garlic. In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, dried oregano, salt and black pepper until well combined. Set aside.
  2. Place the cleaned sardine fillets in a shallow dish. Pour the lemon marinade over the sardines, making sure they are evenly coated. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to combine.
  3. Heat the sunflower oil in a small pot over a medium heat. Toss the capers in the flour and shake off any excess flour (reserve the flour for the sardines). Fry the capers in the hot oil until they are crispy and golden brown, approx. 2-3 minutes. Remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Set aside.
  4. Heat the remaining 30ml of olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Remove the marinated sardines from the fridge and coat them lightly in the reserved flour, shaking off any excess. Season the sardines with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the sardines in the hot pan and fry for approx. 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the cooked sardines to a serving platter. Scatter the crispy capers over the sardines.
  5. Slice the lemon and finely chop the parsley. Scatter the parsley over the fish.
  6. Serve with crusty bread and lemon wedges on the side.