Recipe of the day: Vine-wrapped sardines with fresh green salad

This combination of succulent sardines wrapped in vine leaves, grilled to perfection, and served on traditional South African mosbolletjie toast offers a taste that is both rich and satisfying. 

Complemented by a vibrant green grape salad, adorned with a zesty salsa verde, this dish is a celebration of fresh, wholesome ingredients that promise to tantalize your taste buds. 

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Vine-wrapped sardines with fresh green salad

Ingredients

For Vine-wrapped sardines on mosbolletjie toast

• 12 sardines cleaned head on
• 24 large pickled vine leaves
• 1 cup of golden sultanas
• 1 cup of pine nuts
• Grated rind of three lemons
• 25ml of Olive Oil
• Handful of flat-leaf Italian Parsley
• salt and pepper

For green grape salad with salsa verde

• Two bunches of chilled green grapes stalks removed and cut in half
• Cos lettuce leaves
• Cucumber cut into ribbons for the salsa verde
• 200g of tender-stem broccoli blanched and chilled
• 100g of sugar snap beans blanched and chilled
• 100g asparagus spears blanched and chilled
• Handful of each chopped Italian parsley, mint, coriander, and basil
• Rind and juice of two lemons
• 1 cup of capers
• 5 anchovies
• 1 tablespoon of soft brown sugar
• Garlic flavoured olive oil. For the garnish
• pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Method 

For vine wrapped sardines on mosbolletjie toast

1. On a flat clean surface lay two vine leaves down so that they overlap halfway. Place the opened clean sardine onto the leaves.
2. Place the sultanas, nuts, lemon rind, oil, and parsley into a blender and pulse lightly until the nuts and sultanas are just crushed remove and place into a bowl and season with salt and pepper
3. Stuff the sardines by spooning a tablespoon of filling into each sardine. Start rolling the vine leaves from left to right and tightly wrap the sardines. Drizzle with more olive oil and season with salt and pepper
4. Grill the sardines in a grid on a medium to hot fire for six to eight minutes until cooked
5. Serve with grilled mosbolletjie bread and a tossed green grape salad

For green grape salad with salsa verde

1. Toss the grapes, lettuce, and cucumber in a large salad bowl and prepare the salsa verde
2. Place all the ingredients into a mortar and pestle or a food processor and blend until smooth pour over the greens and toss gently
3. Season with pepper and loads of grated parmesan cheese

*This recipe was republished with compliments from Mynhardt Joubert.

Vine-wrapped sardines with fresh green salad

• Author: Mynhardt Joubert
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Total Time: 22 minutes
• Category: sauce, side
• Method: cook
• Cuisine: greek

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For Vine-wrapped sardines on mosbolletjie toast

• • 12 sardines cleaned head on

• • 24 large pickled vine leaves

• • 1 cup of golden sultanas

• • 1 cup of pine nuts

• • Gated rind of three lemons

• • 25 ml of Willowcreek Olive Oil

• • Handful of flat-leaf Italian Parsley

• • salt and pepper

For green grape salad with salsa verde

• • Two bunches of chilled green grapes stalks removed and cut in half

• • Cos lettuce leaves

• • Cucumber cut into ribbons For the Salsa Verde

• • 200 g of tender-stem broccoli blanched and chilled

• • 100 g of sugar snap beans blanched and chilled

• • 100 g asparagus spears blanched and chilled

• • Handful of each chopped Italian parsley, mint, coriander, and basil

• • Rind and juice of two lemons

• • 1 cup of capers

• • 5 anchovies

• • 1 tablespoon of soft brown sugar

• • Willowcreek Garlic Flavoured Olive Oil. For the garnish

• • pepper

• • Parmesan cheese

Instructions

For vine wrapped sardines on mosbolletjie toast

1. On a flat clean surface lay two vine leaves down so that they overlap halfway. Place the opened clean sardine onto the leaves.
2. Place the sultanas, nuts, lemon rind, oil, and parsley into a blender and pulse lightly until the nuts and sultanas are just crushed remove and place into a bowl and season with salt and pepper
3. Stuff the sardines by spooning a tablespoon of filling into each sardine. Start rolling the vine leaves from left to right and tightly wrap the sardines. Drizzle with more olive oil and season with salt and pepper
4. Grill the sardines in a grid on a medium to hot fire for six to eight minutes until cooked
5. Serve with grilled mosbolletjie bread and a tossed green grape salad

For green grape salad with salsa verde

1. Toss the grapes, lettuce, and cucumber in a large salad bowl and prepare the salsa verde
2. Place all the ingredients into a mortar and pestle or a food processor and blend until smooth pour over the greens and toss gently
3. Season with pepper and loads of grated parmesan cheese

Notes

Serves: 4

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