Baked Sardines With Rosemary Food

BROILED SARDINES WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Heat the broiler until hot. Move the oven rack as close to the heat source as possible (four to two inches away). Heat a sturdy pan for about 5 minutes.
• Wrap a lemon slice around each thyme sprig and stuff inside the sardines; sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, remove it from the oven and pour in half of the olive oil, then put the sardines in the pan and drizzle with the remaining oil. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, then check the sardines; they're ready when they're opaque, the tip of a knife flakes the thickest part easily, and the outside is nicely browned.
• To serve, carefully remove the sardines with a spatula, sprinkle with more herbs if you like, and pour the pan juices over all. Serve with lemon wedges.

BAKED SARDINES WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• 1 Place the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a baking dish large enough to hold the sardines in a single layer. 2 Place the sardines in the dish and sprinkle inside and out with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with bread crumbs. 3 Bake 15 minutes or until the fish are cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges. NOTE: To clean sardines: With a large heavy chef's knife or kitchen shears, cut off the heads. Slit the fish open along the belly and remove the innards. Pull out the backbone. Snip off the fins. Rinse and drain. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.