Roasted Sardines with Lemon and Mint

I say sardines and most people think about the smelly canned sardines and make a face. Fresh sardines are delicious and are one of the fish that very are high in anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, trout, anchovies, and herring are some of the others).

Fresh sardines are hard to come by these days, but if you can find them, they are a treat. These are from Monterey Bay. I scaled and cleaned them, which was way easier than I thought they would be, and then stuffed them with a little lemon, minced garlic, and basil. If you are planning on cleaning your own fish, make sure your paring knife is sharp and ready to go.

Ingredients

1 lb of fresh sardine (scaled, cleaned, and patted dry)

2 lemons sliced in rounds

a handful of fresh mint leaves

2 cloves of garlic minced

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

parchment paper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425˚ and line the baking pan with parchment paper.

Place the fish in a bowl and season with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Place a layer of sliced lemon on the parchment paper and then add the fish on top of it.

Stuff a slice of lemon and a couple of mint leaves inside of each fish.

Bake for 15-20 minutes and enjoy.