Name: Mediterranean beach braai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cooking Method
Ingredients: 1 pack sardines fresh (Brecco is the best, you’ll get about 10 Sardines per pack); 250 g butter; a hand of fresh parsley; a hand of sweet basil leaves; a few sprigs of fresh lemon thyme; a hand of fresh lemon verbena; 1 chilli chopped; lemon zest or rind; the juice of 1 lemon; 1 garlic clove chopped; vine leaves if you can’t find vine leaves you can use blanched cabbage leaves; salt and black pepper; 3 kg fresh mussels live; dry pine needles enough to cover the mussels; 3 lime juice; a hand of coriander chopped fine; a hand of fresh sweet basil chopped fine; a hand of parsley chopped fine; 30 ml olive oil; 1-2 chillies de-seeded and chopped fine; 1 garlic clove; 1 ginger medium, peeled and cut into fine strips; 1 heaped tsp brown sugar

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Ingredients (23)

Sardines and herb butter

1 pack	sardines — fresh (Brecco is the best, you’ll get about 10 Sardines per pack)
250 g	butter
a hand of	fresh parsley
a hand of	sweet basil leaves
a few sprigs of	fresh lemon thyme
a hand of	fresh lemon verbena
1	chilli — chopped
	lemon zest — or rind
the juice of 1	lemon
1	garlic clove — chopped
	vine leaves — if you can’t find vine leaves you can use blanched cabbage leaves
	salt and black pepper

Eclade de Moules (Climbing Mussels)

3 kg	fresh mussels — live
	dry pine needles — enough to cover the mussels

Ex-Girlfriend Sauce(a type of salsa-verde)

3	lime juice
a hand of	coriander — chopped fine
a hand of	fresh sweet basil — chopped fine
a hand of	parsley — chopped fine
30 ml	olive oil
1-2	chillies — de-seeded and chopped fine
1	garlic clove
1	ginger — medium, peeled and cut into fine strips
1 heaped tsp	brown sugar

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Method:

Sardines

Defrost your Sardines and clean them well – de-scaled and gutted(We asked our fishmonger to do this.)

Allow the butter to soften.

In a food processor, blitz the herbs, garlic, zest and chilies till fine (but not to a pulp) add the butter butter, and some salt and ground black pepper. Mix well.

Stuff each Sardine with a generous quantity of the butter mixture.

Wrap them in the vine leaved and secure with a tooth-pick if you like.

Arrange the Sardines on your grill rack and grill on the flames for about 5 – 7 min. Make sure your fire is well and hot – I always use some wood to flavor the meat. If the vine leave look scorched, don’t fret. They will be delicious.

These Sardines can be served as is or with a home made mayonnaise.