Portuguese barbecued sardines with piri-piri oil

Ingredients

12-16 fresh sardines
For the piri-piri oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small lemon, finely grated zest and juice only
½ tsp crushed, dried chilli flakes
120ml/4fl oz olive oil
4-6 large, vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 small red peppers
salt
freshly ground black pepper
50g/2oz well-flavoured black olives
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
crusty bread, thickly sliced, to serve

Method

1. To prepare the red peppers for the salad, spear them on a fork and turn the peppers in the flame of a gas burner or blowtorch until the skin has blistered. Alternatively roast them in a preheated oven at 220C/425F/Gas 7 for 20 minutes, turning once.
2. Remove the peppers from the heat and leave to cool then break in half and remove the stalk, skin and seeds. Cut into thin slices.
3. To prepare the sardines, rub off the scales with your thumb, working under running cold water, then gut them and trim off the fins.
4. To make the piri-piri oil, simply mix all the ingredients together and season with a little salt and pepper.
5. If you are using a charcoal barbecue, light it 30-40 minutes before you want to start cooking. If using a gas barbecue, light it ten minutes beforehand.
6. Meanwhile, for the salad, arrange the sliced tomatoes over a large serving plate and sprinkle with the sliced onion and roasted peppers.
7. Season with salt and pepper, scatter over the olives and drizzle with a little oil and vinegar.
8. When you are ready to cook, the charcoal should be covered in a layer of white ash. Make three shallow slashes on either side of each fish and brush generously inside and out with the piri-piri oil.
9. Cook them on the barbecue for three minutes on each side, until the skin blisters and chars a little and the eyes turn opaque.
10. serve them on the slices of bread with some of the salad to follow.

NB If you do not have a barbecue you can cook the sardines under a preheated hot grill or on a preheated hot griddle pan, turning once until lightly charred.