Recipe: Sardines
Because they are such oily fish, sardines respond best to high heat cooking or over coals for those with access to a barbecue: gut and char quickly so the skin furls and crackles with nothing but a drizzle of oil and a splash of lemon juice.
Nibble the flesh off the bones with your teeth rather than fiddling away with a knife and fork. Or, deep-fry: gut and fillet the fish, drench in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper before throwing in the fryer.
The relatively strong flavour of the fish also responds well to herbs and spices such as ground fennel, cumin and coriander seeds, or a mixture of all three.