Sardines in Vine - Leaves

12 fresh sardines
12 large vine-leaves, either fresh or preserved
4 stalks of mint, with leaves removed and chopped
2 tbsp lemon peel in thin strips
2 tbsp chilli sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper, lemons

Method:

Remove the heads of the sardines, and gently loosen the spine from the tail with your fingers. Pull the backbone all the way off, and open the fish like a sandwich. Check the smaller bones along the side, removing any large ones. Boil the vine-leaves in plenty of water for 1 - 2  minutes until soft, then drain them, cool them in cold water 1 -2 minutes until soft, then drain them, cool them in cold water and dry thoroughly.

Preheat the oven's grill.

Put the open sardines on a board. Mix the mint with the lemon peel and seasoning, and divide the mixture between the sardines. Close them and coat their skins with chilli sauce, then wrap them in vine-leaves and brush with olive oil.

Place the sardine parcels on a grill, in the oven and grill for about 4 minutes on each side. Towards the end of cooking, place some lemon slices under the grill too, for around 3 minutes. Serve the sardines immediately together with the lemon slices.