Brittany's Easiest Fish Dish (Sardines au Plat)

For the sardines

1. Set the oven to broil / grill, or preheat to 480°F (250°C) with top and bottom elements on.

2. Spread the finely diced shallot across the bottom of a small baking dish.

3. Scatter a few small cubes of butter over the shallots.

4. Lay the sardines in the dish, alternating their direction so the tails sit on opposite sides.

5. Scatter the remaining diced shallots over the sardines.

6. Add the remaining small cubes of butter across the top.

7. Squeeze a light drizzle of lemon juice over the fish.

   Do not use too much lemon juice — you want to enhance the flavor without drowning the fish.

8. Season with salt and black pepper.

9. Spoon the white wine over the fish.

10. Place the baking dish near the top of the oven, close to the heating element, and broil until cooked through and slightly crisped, about 10 minutes.

    Then 10 min of waiting

For garnish

11. Remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the melted cooking juices from the bottom over the sardines.

12. Sprinkle the fresh chopped parsley over the dish.

13. Scatter the crispy fried shallots on top.

14. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and serve immediately.

15. This technique uses the marinière style of cooking and works equally well with other fish fillets, such as mackerel.

16. Ensure the oven or broiler is extremely hot before putting the fish in; flash-cooking quickly at high heat keeps the sardines juicy instead of dried out.