Meni Vale's Baked Sardines with Olive Oil, Lemon and Honey Dressing

Meni Valle is an Australian – Greek food teacher and cookbook author.

Her rich Greek heritage, coupled with her love for travel and food, has seen Meni become one of Australia’s most-respected authorities on Mediterranean cuisine.

When she is not writing cookbooks, Meni shares her knowledge and passion for Greek food through cooking classes and culinary tours to Greece, where she loves connecting with locals and discovering new recipes. She also regularly presents at festivals and conferences and contributes to magazines.

Meni has written three cookbooks, ‘My Greek Kitchen’ (2011), ‘My Mediterranean Kitchen’ (2012), ‘Everyday Mediterranean’ (2015)

Her new cookbook ‘Ikaria’ was released in September 2020 published by Hardie Grant.

We have collaborated with Meni on this recipe, she loves Olea.

INGREDIENTS

500 g sardines (cleaned and gutted)

80 mls Olea extra virgin olive oil

6 spring onion, sliced finely

1 red onion, sliced finely

16-18 cherry tomatoes, on the vine (or two tomatoes cut into chunks)

50 g baby capers, drained

50 g pitted kalamata olives

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped roughly

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing

1 lemon, juiced

100 mls Olea extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

1/2  teaspoon dijon mustard

salt, to taste

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

• Pour half the olive oil into a bowl and add the spring onions and red onions, mix well to combine and tumble into a baking tray.

• Place the sardines on top and arrange the baby tomatoes amongst them. Add the olives and capers, sprinkling of oregano and season.

• Add half a cup of water into the baking tray and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until sardines are cooked through.

• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the fresh parsley over and a drizzle of the dressing. 

• Serve with fresh crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices.

Enjoy x

Recipe & Images by Meni Valle @meni.valle