Recipes: Sardines with Sicilian fennel salad

Perfect on the barbecue, sardines add a taste of summer to any meal and are the perfect addition to an al fresco salad

zest and juice 1 lemon
bunch parsley , half the leaves kept whole, the other half finely chopped
1 small garlic clove , finely chopped
1 fennel bulb , with fronds
50g toasted pine nuts
50g raisins
handful green olives , chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
4 large sardines , scaled and gutted
Mix the lemon zest, chopped parsley and garlic together, then set aside. Pick the fronds from the fennel and set aside. Halve the fennel bulb and finely slice. Make the salad by mixing the sliced fennel and fronds with the pine nuts, raisins, olives, and whole parsley leaves. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice.
Heat the griddle pan or barbecue. Season the fish with rock salt (this stops them sticking). Griddle for 2-3 mins on each side until the eyes turn white. Sprinkle the fish with the parsley mix and lift onto plates. Drizzle with oil and serve with the salad.