Grilled Sardines and Okra with Black Garlic Aioli Recipe

Grilled Sardines and Okra with Black Garlic Aioli

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Black garlic, one of chef Hoss Zaré's favorite new ingredients, is fermented so it has a sweet, molasses-like flavor and it's rich with antioxidants. He blends the black garlic with mayonnaise for this dish but using roasted garlic puree blended with balsamic vinegar is equally tasty. If fresh sardines aren't available or if you're in a hurry, make this dish with good-quality canned sardines; they're already cooked so there's no need to grill them.

By Hoss Zaré

Updated on August 24, 2022

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs

Yield:

Ingredients

12 fresh sardines, butterflied
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
10 thyme sprigs
1/2 cup verjus (see Note)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon black garlic (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon harissa
1 bunch watercress, torn
1 pound okra
1 pint grape tomatoes

Directions

Spread the sardines in a 9-by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and cover them with the onion, fennel, carrot, celery, thyme, verjus and vinegar. Add 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the lemon juice, black garlic and harissa.
Line a platter with the watercress. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan and oil the grates. Remove the sardines from the marinade and grill over high heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the sardines to a work surface and let cool slightly. Pull out the bones, then transfer the sardines to the platter.
Preheat a vegetable grilling basket. In a bowl, toss the okra with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the okra in the basket over high heat, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the platter. In the same bowl, toss the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the tomatoes in the basket, turning occasionally, just until charred, about 3 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes to the platter. Serve the sardines and vegetables with the black garlic mayonnaise.

Make Ahead

The aioli can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Notes

Verjus is made from underripe grape juice. It is available at specialty food shops or substitute 1 cup of green grapes pureed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Black garlic is available from blackgarlic.com.

One Serving 340 cal, 18 gm fat, 0.9 gm sat fat, 7 gm carb, 3 gm fiber, 39 gm protein.