Grilled Cucumber and Sardine Bouquets

Yield: 30 hors d’oevres.

Preparation time is 25 minutes, 30 minutes marinating, cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 30 butterflied Pacific sardines, with out heads
• 2 tablespoons olive oil – (30ml)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil – (30ml)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice – (30ml)
• pinch of fresh lemon zest
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leafs – (10ml)
• 2 teaspoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (10ml)
• 1 Lebanese cucumber
• ¼ teaspoon sugar (1.25ml)
• ¼ teaspoon of salt (1.25ml)

Directions

1. Place thirty toothpicks in water to soak.
2. Combine olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon juice and lemon zest in a bowl. Add minced garlic, fresh oregano leafs and parsley.   Layer the butterflied sardines in a ceramic dish and pour marinade over sardines.  Cover with plastic and marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Using a wide vegetable peeler, peel 15 lengthwise strips of cucumber.  Avoid peeling off any cucumber with seeds. Cut cucumber the long slices in half.
4. Lay cucumber stripes around the edge of a colander and sprinkle with sugar and salt, place over a bowl and let drain for 15 minutes.
5. When the juices have drained from cucumber, wash and pat them dry.  Place the cucumber slices on the flesh side of a sardine and roll it up like a pinwheel.  Secure with a toothpick from the soaking water.
6. Grill the sardine rolls on to hot barbecue for 5 minutes or until they are cooked through.
7. Enjoy!