Sardines “alla Griglia con Salsa Verde”

Name: Sardines “alla Griglia con Salsa Verde”
Prep time: 1500 s
Cook time: 600 s
Total time: 3000 s
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: FOR THE SARDINES; Sardines: 12 (cleaned and boned); Water: 300 g; Fine sea salt: 15 g; FOR THE SALSA VERDE; Parsley: 250 g (blanched); Green onions: 25 g (blanched); Onion salt: 20 g; Garlic: 8 g; Basil: 18 g; Capers in salt: 20 g; Anchovies: 5 g; Red wine vinegar (such as Trucioletto): 10 g; Lemon juice: 5 g; Sunflower oil: 30 g; Extra virgin olive oil: 15 g; Kosher salt: to taste; TO FINISH AND SERVE; Extra virgin olive oil: to finish; Coarse salt: to finish; Sliced bread: to finish

14 Aug 2025

Stefano Secchi

Chef

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Difficulty

Medium

Total Time

50MIN

Cuisine

Italian

Ingredients

FOR THE SARDINES

Sardines: 12 (cleaned and boned)

Water: 300 g

Fine sea salt: 15 g

FOR THE SALSA VERDE

Parsley: 250 g (blanched)

Green onions: 25 g (blanched)

Onion salt: 20 g

Garlic: 8 g

Basil: 18 g

Capers in salt: 20 g

Anchovies: 5 g

Red wine vinegar (such as Trucioletto): 10 g

Lemon juice: 5 g

Sunflower oil: 30 g

Extra virgin olive oil: 15 g

Kosher salt: to taste

TO FINISH AND SERVE

Extra virgin olive oil: to finish

Coarse salt: to finish

Sliced bread: to finish

“For me, Ferragosto means grilling and nothing is more satisfying than a fish—often overlooked,” says chef Stefano Secchi about these smoky grilled sardines paired with bright, herbaceous salsa verde. If you can’t find whole sardines, he recommends red mullet as a suitable alternative.

How to make Sardines “alla Griglia con Salsa Verde”

01.

Brine the Sardines

In a shallow container, whisk the salt into the water until fully dissolved.
Add the sardines in a single layer and brine for 15 minutes.
Remove, pat dry, and reserve.

02.

Make the Salsa Verde

In a Vitamix, blend the parsley, green onions, onion salt, garlic, basil, capers, anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice, sunflower oil, olive oil, and three ice cubes until well combined.
Adjust seasoning with kosher salt as needed.
Reserve.

03.

Grill the Sardines and Bread

Preheat the grill to high.
Grill the sardines, skin side down, until the flesh is almost fully opaque.
Remove and set aside.
Grill the bread slices until nicely charred.

04.

Assemble and Serve

Place the sardines on top of the grilled bread.
Spoon salsa verde generously over the fish, finish with more olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Serve immediately.

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14 Aug 2025

The Chef

Italian American chef Stefano Secchi grew up in Texas but visited Italy every year, where he fell in love with the regional cuisine he now recreates in his two Manhattan restaurants. These are Rezdôra—open since 2019, holder of a Michelin star, and specializing in fresh, homemade pasta dishes from the tradition of Emilia Romagna—and its new sibling Massara—opened in the summer of 2024 and offering a menu from southern Italy’s Campania region. Secchi honed his craft with some of Italy’s finest chefs, most notably Massimo Bottura of Modena’s famed three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana.

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