• Trim the sardines and wash them in fresh water. Drain in a colander and pat dry.
  
• Rub the sardines with 1/3 of the chermoula paste and add some salt to taste. (If you like, you can thin the chermoula first with a couple tablespoons of water.)
• Lay a sardine skin side down. Spread generously with chermoula and top symmetrically with another sardine, skin side up. Set aside and repeat with the remaining sardines and chermoula. (Alternatively, you can use a single sardine; fill it with some chermoula and fold it over on itself.)  
• Cover and marinate the stuffed sardines in the fridge for at least 2 hours . 

Frying sardines

• Remove the sandwiched sardines from the marinade. drain them and coat them with a mix of white and durum flour.
• Shallow or deep fry them in a hot oil for about 3 minutes per side. Drain the excess oil and transfer to fried sardines to a plate lined with a kitchen towel or paper.

Serving suggestions

• Serve the fried sardines hot, warm or at room temperature over a bed of parsley or salad leaves. Garnish with lemon wedges and a nice chili sauce such as harissa.
• Fried fish is usually served alongside Moroccan white beans in tomato sauce and/or fresh salads such as cucumber, tomato and onion salad.