Aldo Zilli's marinated sardines with olive oil, garlic & chilli

You should eat oily fish at least three times a week, so this recipe is great as it can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks - as long as the sardines are completely covered in oil. Alternatively, eat it sooner and reuse the marinade for another batch of fish.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes (plus marinating)

What you need:

• 12 fresh small sardines, boned
• 500 ml bottle white wine vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 5 tablespoons sea salt
• 4 bay leaves
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons whole peppercorns

To finish:

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 75 ml extra virgin olive oil

What you do:

1. Place the sardines in a flat dish and cover with the rest of the ingredients. Leave to marinate in a cool place for at least 12 hours.
2. To finish, remove the sardines from the marinade and dip in a bowl of water. Pat dry with a kitchen cloth and place on a shallow plate.
   
3. Sprinkle with the garlic, chilli and parsley and pour over the olive oil - make sure the fish is completely covered with the oil.
   
4. Marinate for at least 3 hours before serving.

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