New !! Grilled Sardines

he smell of grilled sardines is certainly what most attracts your attention when you walk along the beaches of Malaga during your summer vacation in Andalusia. The combination of heat, with the sea breeze, olive wood smoke and delicately roasted salted sardines are an explosion for the senses.
One of the most consumed Spanish products in the south of Spain is certainly the fish. Grilled sardines is undoubtedly the star of the summer.
Sardine is not an own specialty of Malaga as it is also appreciated in many Spanish regions. On the Atlantic coast and in the province of Cadiz, she is known as “sardinada” Grenade, “moraga” and Galicia, “al aspetu”.
However, nowhere grilled sardines is as popular and iconic as the Costa del Sol. The Espeto de Sardinas has become an institution and is considered by many as a symbol of Malaga like the Biznaga.
What the espeto of sardinas?
The espeto is the name given to a wild wooden stick which is skewered meat or fish to be grilled. In short, it is close to our kebabs, but with one important difference: it is not brought into direct contact with the grid, if planted in the coals, a short distance from the fire. In Malaga espeto the best known and most sought is that of sardines.
This way of grilling fish dates back to Phoenician times, first, then the Romans and the Moors who used this technique to grill the fish in boats on the sea, before re-embarking on their boats. This tradition has continued through the centuries and even today, sardines are roasted in old fishing boats up on the beach.
The embers are obtained from olive wood and almond, with particular attention to the wind direction at the time of grilling sardines so that the smoke does not affect their taste.
Origin of espeto of sardinas
While this technique may seem simple, this basic recipe, grilling skewer sardines is an art which has its tricks to get a perfect espeto sardinas.
These tips were received from the master “espetero” Don Miguel Martinez Soler was the precursor to this way of grilling sardines Malaga and played an important role in the history of the local sardine. Indeed, he had the honor of grilling sardines for King Alfonso XII during a visit to Malaga in 1884 and the story goes that Miguel would have insisted that the king eats her sardines with hands, much to the amusement the king and his entourage. A comment that would have earned him the nickname “Miguel el de las Sardinas” (Miguel, one of sardines) and some fame.
Development of espeto of sardinas
Fresh sardines before being skewered, are kept cool in a cap fund with ice cubes, not only to better maintain, if not also because the cold hardens the sardine, which prevents it from falling apart at the time to put it on the stick.
The number of sardine per skewer is usually six and this is the side of the spine of the sardine that is put to the fire so that it remains hard and does not slide on the stick.
Sardines, all of which have more or less the same size, are inserted in the back, below the spine.
The recommended time for grilling sardines is 4 minutes and must also take into account the degree of inclination of the skewer over the fire.
Because of its antioxidant properties, its many nutritional benefits including high protein, fat or omega-3 fat, vitamins and minerals, the sardine is considered a perfect and indispensable food of our diet.
And remember, these are the months without R where sardines are the best!