Grilled sardines with paprika mayonnaise

For the pickled vegetables, thinly slice the shallots, carrots and red pepper (discarding the core and seeds). Combine the vinegar, white wine and sugar in a bowl, add 150ml of water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vegetables, mix well and set aside to marinate for 1 hour at least

To make the mayonnaise, whisk together the egg yolks, 2 tsp of the lemon juice and some salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl until smooth and creamy

Add about 2 tsp of the oil and whisk vigorously to incorporate. Continue adding the oil very slowly in a thin stream, whisking continuously, until all the oil has been incorporated. Stir in the herbs and paprika to taste and set aside

To cook the sardines, preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6, and heat a chargrill pan until very hot. Rub the sardines all over with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper

Cook the sardines for 1 minute on each side, or until browned, then transfer to a rack in the oven for a further 4-5 minutes, until cooked through. Alternatively, you could cook the sardines on the barbecue before finishing in the oven

Place two sardines on each serving plate. Drain the pickled vegetables and pile them on the plates next to the sardines. Finish with a dollop of smoked paprika mayonnaise and serve