Fresh Sardines with Olive oil and Oregano (Calabria)

Fish

Ingredients

Fresh sardines - 2 1/2 pounds

Salt

Olive oil - 1 cup

Hot chili pepper, finely chopped - 1/2 small

Finely chopped oregano

Juice of 1 lemon

Clean the sardines and chop off their heads. Slit each fish open, just enough to pull out the backbone without separating the two halves of the fish. Wash in salted water and wipe dry.

Brush a baking dish liberally with olive oil. Cover the bottom with a layer of sardines, sprinkle with salt, a little chili pepper, plenty of oregano and a little olive oil. Repeat these layers until all sardines are used up. Sprinkle the top with a little more oil and bake in a slow oven (350F) for about 15 minutes, or until the sardines are tender.

Take the sardines from the oven, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve immediately in the same dish.

Serves 6