05/10/2023
In Australia, canned fish is seen as a cheap alternative to the fresh product. However, for the people of Spain and Portugal, shops are practically swimming in canned seafood. Canning is often the preferred method of preserving the catch of the day: a tinned time capsule of flavour and nutrients. They are thought of so highly that they appear on restaurant menus and some bars serve nothing but preserved gourmet seafood.
While preserved with traditional methods, it is the liquido de cobertura (the liquid added to protect the seafood from drying out) that sets Spanish and Portuguese canned fish apart. The focus is on highlighting flavour and texture. Squid are often preserved in their own ink, clams and mussels in brine to mimic the sea, and dense textured fish like tuna and mackerel in oil, while sardines are seasoned with every permutation of oil, spice and tomato sauce.
Simple uses for canned seafood:
Toss sardines with a legume, fresh tomatoes or peppers and olives. Top with an acid, parsley, a hard-boiled egg and, most importantly, the remaining sardine oil.
Use mackerel as you would tuna. Again, keep the oil for dressings and garnishes.
Drape anchovies over a thin slice of bread and dab with a little marmalade to contrast the salinity. Or top soft-boiled eggs or roasted broccoli with them.
Toss mussels into pasta with garlic, lemon and fresh mint.
Eat clams in salads with lots of good olive oil or toss them into a light pasta at the last minute.
Come in store to see our full range of .gourmet Pepus and Scalia canned seafood.
