The sardines of the West Coast, harders are small silvery fish from the mullet family. Like other oily fish, harders hold up particularly well to being cooked over the coals, especially when rubbed with coarse salt and served with a verdantly green pesto made from indigenous herbs.
An extra bouquet of the dune sage and wild rosemary tossed over the fire flavours the harders as they cook, while a bright squeeze of lemon juice over the top of the fish ensures they stay juicy.
Prep time: 20 mins /Cook time: 10 mins /Serves: 4
You will need:
- 8-12 fresh harders or sardines, scaled and gutted
- 500g coarse West Coast sea salt
- large sprigs of dune sage (Salvia africana-lutea) or flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- large sprigs of wild rosemary (Eriocephalus africanus) or regular rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- The zest and juice of a large lemon plus an extra lemon for squeezing over the fish
- Olive oil
- Coarse ground sea salt
Combine a tablespoon of the dune sage with the coarse sea salt. Rub the salt all over the harders, taking care to not get any into the belly cavity. Set the fish aside.
Combine the chopped herbs, garlic, lemon zest and juice with a few generous glugs of olive oil. Season the pesto with a pinch of salt and combine to the desired consistency.
Shake the excess salt from the harders and braai the fish over hot to medium coals for 3-5 minutes per side, squeezing over fresh lemon juice. The harders are ready once the skin is golden and the flesh pulls away easily from the bones.
Serve the harders with the wild greens pesto, lemon wedges and crusty bread
Recipe & Images by Georgia East // SUPPLIED
