Sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and of course, protein, not to mention being delicious!

These fantastic tasty little guys are baby Pilchards, members of the Herring family.

Get out in the backyard and channel your inner caveman!

Step 1: Prepare the Sardines

To clean Sardines, I find that a pair of scissors is the easiest method.

Simply cut the head off, snip up the belly towards the tail and the innards easily scrape out!

Step 2: Smoke Grill Over Vine Cuttings

I’ve started a small hardwood charcoal fire, then laid a bed of dried vine cuttings on top to cook the sardines on. I’ve seen this done with seaweed as well. It’s a simple, back to basics cooking, it’s great fun and the sardines are really good done this way, the simple charred smoky taste it imparts to the sardines is addictive!

Step 3: Serve Them Up

A squeeze of lemon over the top any you are good to go!

Note: Cooked like this and let cool, they make a great salad with some crisp lettuce, tomato and big dollops of a soft gooey blue cheese, just the thing for a summers day with a glass (or five) of chilled red!