Ingredients
Serves 4-6
12 Western Australian sardines, butterflied
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1tablespoon olive oil
3 roma tomatoes
1 each red and green capsicum, halved and seeded
½ continental cucumber, quartered lengthwise and seeded
4 marinated artichoke hearts
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
½ cup flat leaf parsley, torn
150ml extra virgin olive oil
60ml balsamic vinegar
Ground black pepper
½ cup Ligurian olives
Sea salt flakes
Method
Lay the sardines on a tray and sprinkle with salt pepper and oil. Set aside whilst making the salad.
Cut all the vegetables into similar sized pieces and place in a bowl with the garlic and parsley.
Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic, and pepper together in a bowl and pour over the salad ingredients. Toss until the ingredients are well coated.
Heat a sauté pan until quite hot. Add the sardines flesh side down and cook for 30 seconds, turn over and cook the other side for another 30 seconds, remove from pan onto a tray.
To serve: Spoon the salad onto the centre of a serving plate. Sprinkle each salad with a little sea salt flakes. Place two sardines on each salad and place some olives around the plate. Left over dressing in the bowl can be drizzled around the edge of the plate. This salad is ideal served with grilled lamb cutlets, rare roast beef, grilled calamari or even on its own.
Notes
The salt is added just before serving so it does not draw out too much moisture and make the salad ingredients go soggy.
As an alternative, don?t add salt, instead crumble some fetta cheese into the mixture.