Sardines with chickpeas, lemon & parsley

Sardines cooked on the barbie are a great summer treat but they’re perfect in the winter too, cooked a single pot

50g plain flour

10 sardines, scaled and cleaned (8 if large) zest 2 lemons large bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 tbsp olive oil glass white wine (about 125ml) 2x 400g cans chickpeas or butterbeans, drained and rinsed 250g pack cherry tomatoes, halved

1Season the flour and scatter over a large plate. Dip the sardines in the flour, one at a time. Mix together the lemon zest, parsley and half of the chopped garlic and set aside.

2Put a very large pan (a paella pan is ideal or a large sturdy baking tray with a lip) on top of the barbecue and heat until very hot. Add the oil, heat for a few seconds, then lay the floured sardines in the oil in one layer. Fry for 3 mins until the underside is golden, then turn over and fry for another 3 mins. Lift out of the pan and onto a plate.

3Fry the remaining garlic (add another splash of oil if you need to) for 1 min until softened. Pour in the white wine, scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and boil for 1 min or until reduced by half.

4Tip in the chickpeas or butter beans and tomatoes, then stir until heated through. Season with plenty of salt and pepper to taste, then nestle the fish back into the pan. Take off the heat, sprinkle with the parsley mix and serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the juices.