Hormuz Harissa Ships

Name: Hormuz Harissa Ships
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 12 fresh sardines, cleaned; 2 tbsp harissa; 200 ml full-fat yogurt; 1 lemon, juice and zest; 2 red onions; 100 ml white wine vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 slices sourdough bread

Based on:

TypeStarter

Serves4 people

DateOctober 13, 2026

Six fiery sardines in a row as ships in the Strait of Hormuz, on sharp harissa sauce.

Six long, sharply marinated sardines in a row form the silhouette of attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The sardines rest on a streak of harissa-yogurt sauce, with tart pickled onion as waves. The dish echoes the attacks: tension, sharpness, and a touch of sour.

Ingredients

12 fresh sardines, cleaned
2 tbsp harissa
200 ml full-fat yogurt
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 red onions
100 ml white wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 slices sourdough bread

Method

Mix harissa with yogurt, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt into a sauce. Chill.
Slice onions into thin rings. Boil vinegar, sugar, and salt, pour over onions, let cool.
Brush sardines with lemon juice, salt, and olive oil. Grill 2-3 minutes per side until done.
Toast the bread. Cut each slice diagonally in two.
Spread a wide stripe of harissa-yogurt sauce on each plate.
Arrange six sardines per plate in a row on the sauce, like ships at sea.
Scatter pickled onion around as waves.
Place the diagonal bread pieces on one side as a shoreline.

Serving notes

Serve cold or lukewarm, with sardines tightly in formation.
Offer extra harissa-yogurt sauce on the side for extra tension.