Grilled Sardines

Wash and dry the sardines. For larger sardines, remove the entrails. This is easy to do, as the abdominal cavity is thin; just make a gentle incision and pull out the entrails. Work carefully to avoid tearing the delicate flesh.

Strip the leaves from the thyme and rosemary sprigs and chop them finely. Wash and dry the lemon, then grate the zest from half of it using a fine grater. Mix the spices and lemon zest.

Thread the sardines onto grilling skewers and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Refrigerate to rest; the longer, the better, for at least 1 hour.