Sardines Baked in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Serves 2

4-6 sardines, depending on size,cleaned and gutted

small handful fresh basil leaves

Tomato sauce

1 carrot

1 small onion

1 stick of celery

1 clove of garlic all peeled and finely chopped

2tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 x 400g/14oz tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 small glass of red wine

8-10 capers

Salt & pepper

Method

1.To make the sauce, sweat the first five ingredients together until soft but not coloured. Then add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and red wine. Season to taste with pink Himalayan salt and pepper. Add the olives and capers and stir well.

2. Clean the sardines, arrange in an ovenproof dish and pour over the tomato sauce.

3. Bake in a preheated oven gas mark 4/180C for about 20 minutes until heated through.

4. Garnish with torn basil leaves and serve immediately with green salad of watercress, cucumber, onion dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and boiled new potatoes.