The Case for Conservas: A Guide to Iberian Canned Fish and Seafood
An introduction to conservas, the canned seafood delicacies beloved by the Spanish and Portuguese alike, with suggestions for types to try and how best to serve them.
Megan Lloyd
The average American grocery store tends to be lacking in the canned seafood department. Besides shelves and shelves of tuna, one might find the odd can of clams, some salmon, some mackerel, and little else. But citizens of the Iberian peninsula—the region including Spain and Portugal—are practically swimming in canned seafood. Entire shops in Portugal and grocery aisles in Spain are dedicated to the stuff. Though fish and shellfish are eaten fresh throughout the region, canning is an often preferred method for preparing and conserving the best of their plenteous waters. In fact, the resulting range of products, called “conservas,” are considered a delicacy.
The Iberians preserve seafood by first lightly steaming or frying the product and then canning it in boiling water baths, like any other canned food. But when it comes to the liquido de cobertura (the liquid added to protect the seafood from drying out), their approach is focused on highlighting flavor and texture. Squid are often preserved in their own ink or stuffed with rice and covered in different sauces. Pricey bivalves go untampered with, and are canned in a soft natural brine to mimic the sea, while the more economical mussel usually gets the escabeche treatment—a vinegary brine of garlic, paprika, and bay leaf that was used for preservation long before canning was invented. Blue fish like tuna and mackerel have a dense texture and strong flavor that holds up to oil, and potent sardines are seasoned with every permutation of oil, spice, and tomato sauce the Iberians can imagine.
But why choose canned over fresh seafood? “The best conserva makers are canning fish caught literally the day before,” says Abel Álvarez, the chef and owner of the restaurant Güeyu Mar, and an adjacent small specialty cannery next door, in Spain’s northern coastal region of Asturias. “Why wouldn’t you maintain the freshness of that fish as long as possible?” This idea rings true with most conserva makers and consumers: canning is a way to capture the catch at its peak—a tinned time capsule of unparalleled flavor and nutrients.
The question of conservas’ sustainability isn’t black and white, but there are definitely environmental benefits to eating seafood from a can. Responsible fishing practices vary depending on the cannery, though according to Sean Barrett, co-founder of Dock to Dish, it’s easier to trace canned seafood back to its source than it is fresh seafood because of lot numbers, dates, and locations noted in labeling. He, along with Álvarez and Rafael Viguer, owner of Central de Latas in Valencia and producer of Samare Conservas, notes that canning is a more energy-efficient alternative to storing massive seasonal catches in commercial freezers. Even when considering the environmental effects of transportation, Barrett says the carbon footprint of cans is lighter. Shipping cans of seafood on slow boats across the ocean from the Iberian peninsula is preferred to sending them on a plane (the method used for sending most fresh fish around the world) or on a truck. “When considering that 90% of the seafood consumed in the US is imported, seeking out seafood from canneries using wild and well-regulated fisheries is an alternative worth seeking out,” says Barrett.
Today in the Iberian peninsula the appeal of conservas holds stronger than ever. “Spaniards care more about quality seafood than almost any other culture,” says Matt Goulding, author of author of Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain’s Food Culture. “They know some of the best stuff goes in cans.”
A popular grocery or specialty shop item, as noted above, conservas also appear on restaurant menus: In fact, some bars in Spain and Portugal serve nothing but gourmet preserved seafood. The conserva naturally weaves itself into the everyday cuisine of the region, maintaining its place as an essential pantry item for home and professional cooks. When Covid-19 hit, the Portuguese Directorate of General Health put out a 37-page gourmet guide entitled “Canned Recipes: Healthy Eating in Times of Isolation Using Canned Fish and Legumes.” The reverence, and relevance, is real.
Below is a list of cans to get you started. Serving them is simple: let the conserva shine with a few other ingredients, or eat them straight from the can with crusty bread.
Read more
Megan Lloyd
The average American grocery store tends to be lacking in the canned seafood department. Besides shelves and shelves of tuna, one might find the odd can of clams, some salmon, some mackerel, and little else. But citizens of the Iberian peninsula—the region including Spain and Portugal—are practically swimming in canned seafood. Entire shops in Portugal and grocery aisles in Spain are dedicated to the stuff. Though fish and shellfish are eaten fresh throughout the region, canning is an often preferred method for preparing and conserving the best of their plenteous waters. In fact, the resulting range of products, called “conservas,” are considered a delicacy.
The Iberians preserve seafood by first lightly steaming or frying the product and then canning it in boiling water baths, like any other canned food. But when it comes to the liquido de cobertura (the liquid added to protect the seafood from drying out), their approach is focused on highlighting flavor and texture. Squid are often preserved in their own ink or stuffed with rice and covered in different sauces. Pricey bivalves go untampered with, and are canned in a soft natural brine to mimic the sea, while the more economical mussel usually gets the escabeche treatment—a vinegary brine of garlic, paprika, and bay leaf that was used for preservation long before canning was invented. Blue fish like tuna and mackerel have a dense texture and strong flavor that holds up to oil, and potent sardines are seasoned with every permutation of oil, spice, and tomato sauce the Iberians can imagine.
But why choose canned over fresh seafood? “The best conserva makers are canning fish caught literally the day before,” says Abel Álvarez, the chef and owner of the restaurant Güeyu Mar, and an adjacent small specialty cannery next door, in Spain’s northern coastal region of Asturias. “Why wouldn’t you maintain the freshness of that fish as long as possible?” This idea rings true with most conserva makers and consumers: canning is a way to capture the catch at its peak—a tinned time capsule of unparalleled flavor and nutrients.
The question of conservas’ sustainability isn’t black and white, but there are definitely environmental benefits to eating seafood from a can. Responsible fishing practices vary depending on the cannery, though according to Sean Barrett, co-founder of Dock to Dish, it’s easier to trace canned seafood back to its source than it is fresh seafood because of lot numbers, dates, and locations noted in labeling. He, along with Álvarez and Rafael Viguer, owner of Central de Latas in Valencia and producer of Samare Conservas, notes that canning is a more energy-efficient alternative to storing massive seasonal catches in commercial freezers. Even when considering the environmental effects of transportation, Barrett says the carbon footprint of cans is lighter. Shipping cans of seafood on slow boats across the ocean from the Iberian peninsula is preferred to sending them on a plane (the method used for sending most fresh fish around the world) or on a truck. “When considering that 90% of the seafood consumed in the US is imported, seeking out seafood from canneries using wild and well-regulated fisheries is an alternative worth seeking out,” says Barrett.
Today in the Iberian peninsula the appeal of conservas holds stronger than ever. “Spaniards care more about quality seafood than almost any other culture,” says Matt Goulding, author of author of Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain’s Food Culture. “They know some of the best stuff goes in cans.”
A popular grocery or specialty shop item, as noted above, conservas also appear on restaurant menus: In fact, some bars in Spain and Portugal serve nothing but gourmet preserved seafood. The conserva naturally weaves itself into the everyday cuisine of the region, maintaining its place as an essential pantry item for home and professional cooks. When Covid-19 hit, the Portuguese Directorate of General Health put out a 37-page gourmet guide entitled “Canned Recipes: Healthy Eating in Times of Isolation Using Canned Fish and Legumes.” The reverence, and relevance, is real.
Below is a list of cans to get you started. Serving them is simple: let the conserva shine with a few other ingredients, or eat them straight from the can with crusty bread.
How to have barbecue, high-end charcuterie, seafood and more shipped to your door
David Cohen
For all things Spanish, La Tienda is tough to beat. Shop here for black squid ink, Spanish sardines in olive oil, Padrón peppers, Jamon Iberico de Bellota, roasted piquillo peppers, Manchego cheese, paella ingredients and pans and more.
Read more
For all things Spanish, La Tienda is tough to beat. Shop here for black squid ink, Spanish sardines in olive oil, Padrón peppers, Jamon Iberico de Bellota, roasted piquillo peppers, Manchego cheese, paella ingredients and pans and more.
15 Chefs Share Their Favorite Ways to Use Canned Seafood
We love tuna, but also canned salmon and sardines, saucy mussels, and squid in ink
Regan Stephens
When Greg Vernick was planning to open Vernick Fish in Philadelphia last August, he knew tinned fish would make an appearance on the menu. The James Beard Award-winning chef had been a fan since a 2009 trip to Barcelona, where he dined at chef Albert Adría’s now-shuttered tapas bar, Inopia, and found an entire section of the menu dedicated to canned seafood. “My mind was blown,” he said. “It changed my appreciation for the food—it was so simple and restrained.”
Nowadays, his restaurant serves Ramón Peña sardines and sourdough, a deceptively delicious and easy-to-replicate dish: grilled-to-order bread spread with a compound butter (made with garlic, tomato, chili, lemon zest, and salt) and lined with the plump, tender fish. The finishing touch is a splash of lemon juice, zest, and a little sea salt.
“Unfortunately, when they think of tinned fish, a lot of people think of the tuna fish sandwich of childhood,” said the chef. “And don’t get me wrong, canned tuna and mayo makes a meal for a lot of families, and if you like it, it’s hard to screw it up. But it's become the perception of what tinned fish is, and I think we under appreciate it a little more than other regions of the world.” Besides using canned fish to throw together a simple toast, Vernick suggests it as a base for vinaigrettes, pasta sauces and marinades.
While tuna might be the most popular tinned fish variety, in the past two months, the pandemic has prompted new shopping patterns and sales of many types of canned seafood are booming in the US. (Philly-based grocery co-op chain Weaver’s Way reports a 40% jump from February to March.) If you haven’t explored the world of canned fish yet, now is the time to get on board. Beyond tuna, options abound, from mackerel filets to razor clams, mussels in spiced sauce, and octopus in olive oil. They’re sustainable, long-lasting, and add a punch of umami flavor to so many dishes.
Read more
Regan Stephens
When Greg Vernick was planning to open Vernick Fish in Philadelphia last August, he knew tinned fish would make an appearance on the menu. The James Beard Award-winning chef had been a fan since a 2009 trip to Barcelona, where he dined at chef Albert Adría’s now-shuttered tapas bar, Inopia, and found an entire section of the menu dedicated to canned seafood. “My mind was blown,” he said. “It changed my appreciation for the food—it was so simple and restrained.”
Nowadays, his restaurant serves Ramón Peña sardines and sourdough, a deceptively delicious and easy-to-replicate dish: grilled-to-order bread spread with a compound butter (made with garlic, tomato, chili, lemon zest, and salt) and lined with the plump, tender fish. The finishing touch is a splash of lemon juice, zest, and a little sea salt.
“Unfortunately, when they think of tinned fish, a lot of people think of the tuna fish sandwich of childhood,” said the chef. “And don’t get me wrong, canned tuna and mayo makes a meal for a lot of families, and if you like it, it’s hard to screw it up. But it's become the perception of what tinned fish is, and I think we under appreciate it a little more than other regions of the world.” Besides using canned fish to throw together a simple toast, Vernick suggests it as a base for vinaigrettes, pasta sauces and marinades.
While tuna might be the most popular tinned fish variety, in the past two months, the pandemic has prompted new shopping patterns and sales of many types of canned seafood are booming in the US. (Philly-based grocery co-op chain Weaver’s Way reports a 40% jump from February to March.) If you haven’t explored the world of canned fish yet, now is the time to get on board. Beyond tuna, options abound, from mackerel filets to razor clams, mussels in spiced sauce, and octopus in olive oil. They’re sustainable, long-lasting, and add a punch of umami flavor to so many dishes.
Where To Buy Tinned and Cured Fish Online
If you think you hate canned tuna, you haven’t had the right canned tuna.
Mackenzie Chung Fegan
It’s no secret that we love tinned fish here at Bon Appétit. Writing an 800-word love poem to your favorite smoked trout, canned tuna, or luxury anchovies is a rite of passage for our editors, a ritual that concludes with Test Kitchen manager Gaby Melian bestowing a key to the secret conservas closet on the fortunate inductee. (I await my invitation, Gaby!)
If you're not yet among the converted, now, with trips to the fish counter limited, is the time to embrace these shelf-stable small bois. Not only are they delicious, but also they're packed with omega-3s and good-for-you vitamins and minerals. Plus, as far as seafood goes, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and other little fellas are among the most sustainable options. If tinned fish really aren't your thing, we've thrown in a couple of our favorite smoked fish options too; they won't last forever, but they'll keep in your fridge longer than the fresh stuff.
La Tienda
Spain does tinned fish better than anyone (except maybe Portugal, I’m not here to start fights), and La Tienda has been importing Spanish delicacies to the U.S. since 1996.
Read more
Mackenzie Chung Fegan
It’s no secret that we love tinned fish here at Bon Appétit. Writing an 800-word love poem to your favorite smoked trout, canned tuna, or luxury anchovies is a rite of passage for our editors, a ritual that concludes with Test Kitchen manager Gaby Melian bestowing a key to the secret conservas closet on the fortunate inductee. (I await my invitation, Gaby!)
If you're not yet among the converted, now, with trips to the fish counter limited, is the time to embrace these shelf-stable small bois. Not only are they delicious, but also they're packed with omega-3s and good-for-you vitamins and minerals. Plus, as far as seafood goes, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and other little fellas are among the most sustainable options. If tinned fish really aren't your thing, we've thrown in a couple of our favorite smoked fish options too; they won't last forever, but they'll keep in your fridge longer than the fresh stuff.
La Tienda
Spain does tinned fish better than anyone (except maybe Portugal, I’m not here to start fights), and La Tienda has been importing Spanish delicacies to the U.S. since 1996.
The 14 Best Meat Delivery Services—Because Your Grill Is Still Open
It's the summer of American Wagyu ribeye over the fire and premium spiced salami on a charcuterie board.
Sarah Rense
A couple years back, we declared that befriending a butcher was the power move of the summer. Always sound advice. The thing is, building an interpersonal relationship with a stranger right now is about as advised as flying on an airplane without a mask and a gallon of Purell. Which is why we're amending our statement for 2020 to the following: Become familiar with a high-quality online source of mail-delivered meat. It doesn't have quite the same ring to it, we know. But if your wine bottles, rare (or not so rare) spirits, meal boxes, loose pantry ingredients, fresh seafood, supply of progressively loosening lounge clothing, and who knows what else can make their way to your front door, so can fresh (or preserved) carnivore delights.
This summer in isolation need not be defined by refrigerated six-packs of hot dogs, frozen burger patties from last Memorial Day, and halfhearted attempts to grill mushrooms as if they were once bloody. The meat shortages may be coming to your supermarkets and big box warehouse club, but it won't have too much of an effect in the realm of high-end butchery, just yet. The following are 14 importers, family-run farms, and butcher shops that ship cuts of meat across the country—be it farm-raised ground beef, cured salamis, or Wagyu steaks that need just a brief turn on a skillet or grill to crisp up that beautifully marbled fat. There's not a wrong choice among them.
La Tienda ("the store," for those of you who didn't graduate with five Spanish language credits) imports its meat directly from Spain, where you might say meat is best cured and preserved. Specifically, look for salty ribbons of jamón, spiced chorizo sausage, and even the entire bone-in leg of a pig from which to shave paper-thin slices of meat, just like they do at the cafés lining the twisty streets of Madrid. Do your other grocery shopping here too, where a selection of Spanish olive oils, canned fish, and goat cheese will complete your vacation on a platter.
Read more
Sarah Rense
A couple years back, we declared that befriending a butcher was the power move of the summer. Always sound advice. The thing is, building an interpersonal relationship with a stranger right now is about as advised as flying on an airplane without a mask and a gallon of Purell. Which is why we're amending our statement for 2020 to the following: Become familiar with a high-quality online source of mail-delivered meat. It doesn't have quite the same ring to it, we know. But if your wine bottles, rare (or not so rare) spirits, meal boxes, loose pantry ingredients, fresh seafood, supply of progressively loosening lounge clothing, and who knows what else can make their way to your front door, so can fresh (or preserved) carnivore delights.
This summer in isolation need not be defined by refrigerated six-packs of hot dogs, frozen burger patties from last Memorial Day, and halfhearted attempts to grill mushrooms as if they were once bloody. The meat shortages may be coming to your supermarkets and big box warehouse club, but it won't have too much of an effect in the realm of high-end butchery, just yet. The following are 14 importers, family-run farms, and butcher shops that ship cuts of meat across the country—be it farm-raised ground beef, cured salamis, or Wagyu steaks that need just a brief turn on a skillet or grill to crisp up that beautifully marbled fat. There's not a wrong choice among them.
La Tienda ("the store," for those of you who didn't graduate with five Spanish language credits) imports its meat directly from Spain, where you might say meat is best cured and preserved. Specifically, look for salty ribbons of jamón, spiced chorizo sausage, and even the entire bone-in leg of a pig from which to shave paper-thin slices of meat, just like they do at the cafés lining the twisty streets of Madrid. Do your other grocery shopping here too, where a selection of Spanish olive oils, canned fish, and goat cheese will complete your vacation on a platter.
8 Outstanding Cheese Shops That Will Deliver to Your Door
Whether for a gift or for yourself, these purveyors have the perfect fromage for you
Megan Murphy
La Tienda
Since 1996, this Virginia-based retailer has been importing premium products from small and family-owned producers all across Spain. La Tienda’s collection of authentic Spanish provisions covers all bases, including an especially robust selection of cheeses—from pasture-raised sheep’s milk manchego produced in La Mancha to rich, creamy buffalo blue cheese from Catalunya. Bring the best of Spain to your doorstep with one of their artisan cheese samplers.
Read more
Megan Murphy
La Tienda
Since 1996, this Virginia-based retailer has been importing premium products from small and family-owned producers all across Spain. La Tienda’s collection of authentic Spanish provisions covers all bases, including an especially robust selection of cheeses—from pasture-raised sheep’s milk manchego produced in La Mancha to rich, creamy buffalo blue cheese from Catalunya. Bring the best of Spain to your doorstep with one of their artisan cheese samplers.
Beyond Tuna Salad, Canned Fish Is a Dinnertime Savior
Cooking with canned seafood isn't a compromise—it's a shortcut to flavor
Antara Sinha
When pickings at the fishmonger are looking sparse, you’re looking for a more sustainable seafood alternative, or you’re leaning on your pantry staples and canned goods a little heavier these days, canned seafood can be a tasty, simple, and flavor-packed ingredient to turn to. From subtly dialing up umami flavors in effortless pasta dishes, to being the star of the show in recipes like Crispy Octopus with Potatoes and Smoked Oyster Empanadas, both high-quality oil-packed specialty seafood and humble supermarket shelf staples are reliable, versatile, and delicious.
The best places to stock up: If your local supermarket doesn’t have the selection you’re searching for, online stores are a reliable source to turn to. La Tienda has a large selection of specialty canned seafood. Caputo’s and Tin Can Fish also have a wide array of quality canned seafood that ships nationwide. And if you’ve cooked through these recipes and are still hungry for more canned seafood cooking inspiration, Tin Can Magic by Jessica Dennison and The Tinned Fish Cookbook by Bart van Olphen have simple, tasty recipes that celebrate and elevate the humble canned fish from an overlooked back-of-the-pantry ingredient to one that deserves center stage.
A Shortcut to a Spanish-Style Dinner
While octopus may be an intimidating ingredient, using high-quality canned octopus makes it simple and approachable. You can skip the braising and get straight to perfectly tender (not rubbery!) octopus for this quick, delicious dish. Simple ingredients—just a spritz of lemon juice, parsley, and paprika—let canned octopus shine. We recommend Ramon Pena brand canned octopus.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Octopus and Potatoes
Read more
Antara Sinha
When pickings at the fishmonger are looking sparse, you’re looking for a more sustainable seafood alternative, or you’re leaning on your pantry staples and canned goods a little heavier these days, canned seafood can be a tasty, simple, and flavor-packed ingredient to turn to. From subtly dialing up umami flavors in effortless pasta dishes, to being the star of the show in recipes like Crispy Octopus with Potatoes and Smoked Oyster Empanadas, both high-quality oil-packed specialty seafood and humble supermarket shelf staples are reliable, versatile, and delicious.
The best places to stock up: If your local supermarket doesn’t have the selection you’re searching for, online stores are a reliable source to turn to. La Tienda has a large selection of specialty canned seafood. Caputo’s and Tin Can Fish also have a wide array of quality canned seafood that ships nationwide. And if you’ve cooked through these recipes and are still hungry for more canned seafood cooking inspiration, Tin Can Magic by Jessica Dennison and The Tinned Fish Cookbook by Bart van Olphen have simple, tasty recipes that celebrate and elevate the humble canned fish from an overlooked back-of-the-pantry ingredient to one that deserves center stage.
A Shortcut to a Spanish-Style Dinner
While octopus may be an intimidating ingredient, using high-quality canned octopus makes it simple and approachable. You can skip the braising and get straight to perfectly tender (not rubbery!) octopus for this quick, delicious dish. Simple ingredients—just a spritz of lemon juice, parsley, and paprika—let canned octopus shine. We recommend Ramon Pena brand canned octopus.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Octopus and Potatoes
The 17 Absolute Best, Wirecutter-Approved Mother’s Day Gifts Under $35
Dorie Chevlen
If money were no object, I’m sure most of us would choose to buy our mothers castles, islands, or their dream homes. But, of course, money is an object, and a lot of us are in the position of having, well, not so much of it. But fret not, oh cash-strapped progeny! You can still show the mom in your life that you care, without breaking the bank. Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite gifts that are available for $35 or less.
1880 Alicante Turrón Candy ($15 at the time of publication)
Spanish candies
You probably know what the mom in your life turns to when she wants a sweet fix (for my own mother, it’s a rare, chocolate-dipped biscotti sold only at the T.J.Maxx in Boardman, Ohio). Yet, if you want to surprise her with something new (or if you don’t have a T.J.Maxx near you), then these elegant almond candies from Spanish food purveyor La Tienda are a great choice and come recommended by Wirecutter staff editor Winnie Yang. The whole roasted Marcona almonds are blended with Spanish orange blossom honey for a treat your mom will love—and hopefully even share.
Read more
If money were no object, I’m sure most of us would choose to buy our mothers castles, islands, or their dream homes. But, of course, money is an object, and a lot of us are in the position of having, well, not so much of it. But fret not, oh cash-strapped progeny! You can still show the mom in your life that you care, without breaking the bank. Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite gifts that are available for $35 or less.
1880 Alicante Turrón Candy ($15 at the time of publication)
Spanish candies
You probably know what the mom in your life turns to when she wants a sweet fix (for my own mother, it’s a rare, chocolate-dipped biscotti sold only at the T.J.Maxx in Boardman, Ohio). Yet, if you want to surprise her with something new (or if you don’t have a T.J.Maxx near you), then these elegant almond candies from Spanish food purveyor La Tienda are a great choice and come recommended by Wirecutter staff editor Winnie Yang. The whole roasted Marcona almonds are blended with Spanish orange blossom honey for a treat your mom will love—and hopefully even share.
A critic’s favorite hack for a quick meal at home
About tinned seafood
Bill Addison
Late last week, when I needed a fast lunch, I remembered I had a tin of mussels in pickled sauce on hand.
I’d picked them up while buying wine at Tilda, the new Echo Park bar that has shifted to retail during the shutdown. (My visit became part of a story published this week on how Los Angeles wine bars have pivoted and innovated.) Next to the bottle selection, visible through a glass wall from an adjacent atrium, there were also shelves filled with a small assortment of groceries.
Items included coffee from nearby Canyon roasters, large bottles of Topo Chico and canned beer, olive oil and then — aha — some tinned seafood in beautiful packaging. A few of these would be smart to have around, I thought.
The mussels are from Galicia, Spain, an area famous for its seafood, packed by the Ramón Peña canning factory in a shiny black and gold box. I pulled back the tab on the round tin and savored the pop and metallic scrape while peeling off the lid.
Ten plump mussels lolled in a marinade with a red-siren glow that reminded me of Sichuan chile oil. “Pickled sauce” as a translation doesn’t exactly flatter the technique of Spanish escabeche — cooked seafood cured in a mixture of olive oil, vinegar and spices that usually include mild smoked paprika.
That afternoon, I had neither the time nor the energy for anything beyond eating the mussels straight from the can. Their frank, meaty deliciousness surprised me. I’d had fancy tinned seafood in restaurants before, rounded up with bread and punchy condiments, but it was a moment of grace to enjoy something that was as pleasurable as it was practical.
Americans on the whole haven’t much warmed to seafood conservas, as they’re called in Spain. Plenty of us think only of Chicken of the Sea tuna when we think of tinned fish — that, or anchovies put to service as an umami blast for sauces. Generic sardines tend to linger past their expiration dates in the farthest reaches of kitchen cabinets.
But good tinned seafood has become my favorite at-home quarantine meal hack. When I need something in an instant, eaten on its own, I prefer mollusks — spiced octopus in olive oil, squid in tomato sauce or in squid ink, the vinegary mussels. If I’m eating fish unadorned from the tin, I find it most compelling when it’s smoked.
Sardines (or other common tinned fish like mackerel or trout) have more appeal with simple pairings. Butter a split hunk of baguette and smash the fish into the bread with a fork, then garnish with a squeeze of lemon or a few slivers of pickled onion — whatever briny, acidic addition you might have on hand. Make them the star ingredient in a salad with an intense, mustardy vinaigrette.
Find conservas at Los Angeles markets like Cookbook in Echo Park and Highland Park, Pantry L.A. in Beverly Grove and Broome Street General Store in Silver Lake. Significant for these times, it’s easy to order a broader range of products from online sources.
Start by glancing through the collection from Jose Gourmet, a company whose products I uniformly enjoy, on the comprehensive site of Caputo’s, a market and deli in Salt Lake City. Four-ounce tins start around $8; their boxes include evocative illustrations from Spanish and Portuguese artists. Matiz, carried by Amazon, is another reliable purveyor and usually a little cheaper; seek out its sardines packed with minced piquillo peppers. La Tienda, based in Virginia, is another reliable source.
To remind myself of the options worth seeking out in the first place, I reread the tinned seafood menu descriptions from Saltie Girl in Boston. It’s a seafood bar with one of the country’s finest conserva selections: It’s where I first came to fully appreciate the genre’s breadth and subtleties. Looking forward to the day I can fly across the country and eat there again with a dear local friend. In the meantime, I’ll be at home experimenting with making sardine curry this weekend.
Read more
Bill Addison
Late last week, when I needed a fast lunch, I remembered I had a tin of mussels in pickled sauce on hand.
I’d picked them up while buying wine at Tilda, the new Echo Park bar that has shifted to retail during the shutdown. (My visit became part of a story published this week on how Los Angeles wine bars have pivoted and innovated.) Next to the bottle selection, visible through a glass wall from an adjacent atrium, there were also shelves filled with a small assortment of groceries.
Items included coffee from nearby Canyon roasters, large bottles of Topo Chico and canned beer, olive oil and then — aha — some tinned seafood in beautiful packaging. A few of these would be smart to have around, I thought.
The mussels are from Galicia, Spain, an area famous for its seafood, packed by the Ramón Peña canning factory in a shiny black and gold box. I pulled back the tab on the round tin and savored the pop and metallic scrape while peeling off the lid.
Ten plump mussels lolled in a marinade with a red-siren glow that reminded me of Sichuan chile oil. “Pickled sauce” as a translation doesn’t exactly flatter the technique of Spanish escabeche — cooked seafood cured in a mixture of olive oil, vinegar and spices that usually include mild smoked paprika.
That afternoon, I had neither the time nor the energy for anything beyond eating the mussels straight from the can. Their frank, meaty deliciousness surprised me. I’d had fancy tinned seafood in restaurants before, rounded up with bread and punchy condiments, but it was a moment of grace to enjoy something that was as pleasurable as it was practical.
Americans on the whole haven’t much warmed to seafood conservas, as they’re called in Spain. Plenty of us think only of Chicken of the Sea tuna when we think of tinned fish — that, or anchovies put to service as an umami blast for sauces. Generic sardines tend to linger past their expiration dates in the farthest reaches of kitchen cabinets.
But good tinned seafood has become my favorite at-home quarantine meal hack. When I need something in an instant, eaten on its own, I prefer mollusks — spiced octopus in olive oil, squid in tomato sauce or in squid ink, the vinegary mussels. If I’m eating fish unadorned from the tin, I find it most compelling when it’s smoked.
Sardines (or other common tinned fish like mackerel or trout) have more appeal with simple pairings. Butter a split hunk of baguette and smash the fish into the bread with a fork, then garnish with a squeeze of lemon or a few slivers of pickled onion — whatever briny, acidic addition you might have on hand. Make them the star ingredient in a salad with an intense, mustardy vinaigrette.
Find conservas at Los Angeles markets like Cookbook in Echo Park and Highland Park, Pantry L.A. in Beverly Grove and Broome Street General Store in Silver Lake. Significant for these times, it’s easy to order a broader range of products from online sources.
Start by glancing through the collection from Jose Gourmet, a company whose products I uniformly enjoy, on the comprehensive site of Caputo’s, a market and deli in Salt Lake City. Four-ounce tins start around $8; their boxes include evocative illustrations from Spanish and Portuguese artists. Matiz, carried by Amazon, is another reliable purveyor and usually a little cheaper; seek out its sardines packed with minced piquillo peppers. La Tienda, based in Virginia, is another reliable source.
To remind myself of the options worth seeking out in the first place, I reread the tinned seafood menu descriptions from Saltie Girl in Boston. It’s a seafood bar with one of the country’s finest conserva selections: It’s where I first came to fully appreciate the genre’s breadth and subtleties. Looking forward to the day I can fly across the country and eat there again with a dear local friend. In the meantime, I’ll be at home experimenting with making sardine curry this weekend.
Can I Make My Home Cozier While in Isolation?
Chris Black
I live alone, and am looking for things to make the apartment I now spend all of my time in a little cozier. What would you suggest? Being trapped at home is brutal. Coziness can be achieved, and hopefully, help battle boredom.
Finally, complement your bean with an ice cold refreshing glass of Vichy Catalan Sparkling Water. The hard-to-find sparkling mineral water from Spain has carbonic gas added to its natural state. So bubbly … it hurts!
Read more
I live alone, and am looking for things to make the apartment I now spend all of my time in a little cozier. What would you suggest? Being trapped at home is brutal. Coziness can be achieved, and hopefully, help battle boredom.
Finally, complement your bean with an ice cold refreshing glass of Vichy Catalan Sparkling Water. The hard-to-find sparkling mineral water from Spain has carbonic gas added to its natural state. So bubbly … it hurts!
12 Mail-Order Food Sites That'll Help You Pack Your Kitchen With Interesting Ingredients
You'll elevate your cooking and support smaller businesses in the process
Jeff Gordinier
Is it getting monotonous yet?
The coronavirus pandemic, by forcing many of us into cocoon mode, is already making avid home cooks out of people who had never before attempted to boil water or toast bread. Recipes abound, and famous chefs like Massimo Bottura are offering quarantine tutorials on Instagram. But even for those of us who do have an abundance of experience at the stove, sheltering in place is reinforcing the truth in something that chefs like Bottura tell you all the time: Your cooking is only as good as your ingredients.
And cooking gets pretty tedious when you keep using the same stuff for weeks on end.
Maybe it’s absurdly obvious, but the mantra bears repeating. You can improve your rice and beans by using better rice and beans. You can elevate a simple dish of pasta, olive oil, and anchovies by using better pasta, olive oil, and anchovies. Stir-frying some vegetables? Premium soy sauce can make all the difference.
Opting for better ingredients is not some exercise in bougie excess. From the perspective of personal edification, it’s a way to use your free time during this bizarre global stalemate to go granular and learn more about food. What makes this bean different than this other bean? What makes that olive different than the olives we ate last night? And from the standpoint of saving the world, well, making a concerted effort to stock your pantry with higher-quality ingredients can be a way to help small, independent farmers, purveyors, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs during a time when vast numbers are struggling.
With that in mind, here we offer links to 12 of our favorite mail-order food sites that'll ship nationwide.
La Tienda
For a quarter of a century, this Virginia-based, family-owned company has been the go-to portal for the best products imported from Spain, from paella rice to chorizo to jamón ibérico to Marcona almonds to the exquisite canned seafoods known as conservas. You haven’t lived until you’ve snacked on the José Andrés razor clams.
Read more
Jeff Gordinier
Is it getting monotonous yet?
The coronavirus pandemic, by forcing many of us into cocoon mode, is already making avid home cooks out of people who had never before attempted to boil water or toast bread. Recipes abound, and famous chefs like Massimo Bottura are offering quarantine tutorials on Instagram. But even for those of us who do have an abundance of experience at the stove, sheltering in place is reinforcing the truth in something that chefs like Bottura tell you all the time: Your cooking is only as good as your ingredients.
And cooking gets pretty tedious when you keep using the same stuff for weeks on end.
Maybe it’s absurdly obvious, but the mantra bears repeating. You can improve your rice and beans by using better rice and beans. You can elevate a simple dish of pasta, olive oil, and anchovies by using better pasta, olive oil, and anchovies. Stir-frying some vegetables? Premium soy sauce can make all the difference.
Opting for better ingredients is not some exercise in bougie excess. From the perspective of personal edification, it’s a way to use your free time during this bizarre global stalemate to go granular and learn more about food. What makes this bean different than this other bean? What makes that olive different than the olives we ate last night? And from the standpoint of saving the world, well, making a concerted effort to stock your pantry with higher-quality ingredients can be a way to help small, independent farmers, purveyors, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs during a time when vast numbers are struggling.
With that in mind, here we offer links to 12 of our favorite mail-order food sites that'll ship nationwide.
La Tienda
For a quarter of a century, this Virginia-based, family-owned company has been the go-to portal for the best products imported from Spain, from paella rice to chorizo to jamón ibérico to Marcona almonds to the exquisite canned seafoods known as conservas. You haven’t lived until you’ve snacked on the José Andrés razor clams.
How to Get Started with Clay Pot Cooking
The first step to cooking in a ddukbaegi, tagine, or cazuela? Finding the right vessel and learning how to use it best.
Mary-Frances Heck and Paige Grandjean
Clay pots are beloved around the world for their ability to cook especially delicious food, concentrating flavors and retaining heat with ease. From the Moroccan tagine to the Japanese donabe, these vessels aren't just hardworking cooking gear—they can go straight from oven and stove to table while looking as beautiful as their contents taste. But cooking with clay pots requires a bit of know-how. Since they're made of, well, clay, they perform differently than metal pots and pans. Check out these quick tips on seasoning, cleaning, and cooking before you get started.
Season Before First Use
The following clay pots should be seasoned before first use to temper them for cooking.
Donabe, Flameware, Chinese Clay Pots, and Bean Pots: Combine a 4:1 ratio of cool water and cooked white rice to fill the pot halfway. Set the pot over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer, and adjust heat to maintain a gentle bubble until the rice softens into a porridge. Turn off heat, and let stand until cool. Discard the porridge, and clean the pot (see right).
Tagines: Submerge pot and lid in water overnight. Wipe dry, and rub interior with a very thin layer of neutral oil. Place lid and base separately on rack in a cold oven, and heat to 325°F. Bake 2 hours. Turn off oven, and let cool completely without opening oven door, at least 4 hours.
Clean Gently
Let pots cool completely before washing. To scrape off stuck-on food, soak pots briefly in lukewarm water to soften residue and use a soft sponge to remove. Do not use soap on partially glazed or unglazed pots; use only mild detergent on flameware. If bacterial growth is of concern, dry the pots in a 200°F oven for 30 minutes before storing in a cool, dry place.
Heat Gradually
Clay cookware is sensitive to thermal shock (except some brands of flameware and Chinese clay pots insulated with metal wire), so take great care to avoid sudden temperature changes or pots will break when heated. Never heat an empty clay pot, and do not set a cold pot over high heat; instead, heat the pots gradually after filling so the ingredients heat at the same rate as the pot.
Heat water or broth before adding midway through cooking. Don’t heat clay pots directly over an electric burner, which will heat the pot too quickly and may cause thermal shock. Instead, use a diffuser, such as the Nordic Ware Heat Diffuser ($15, ?williams-sonoma.com), to soften the heat so the pot can warm gradually.
Handle Lightly
To avoid thermal shock and accidental breakage, use wooden—not metal—tools to stir food, and don’t tap spoons on the sides of pots or drag pots across burners. Place a double layer of kitchen linens as a stove-side landing pad for hot pots or lids rather than setting them directly on cold countertops, and use wooden or cloth trivets in lieu of metal.
Source Safely
If clay isn’t handled properly by the potter, the presence of heavy metals and other toxins in some clay bodies and glazes can cause lead poisoning, exposure to radiation, and a host of other health problems. Using clay from a reputable source and firing it to the appropriate temperature are key. Compliance with California Proposition 65 is currently the best measure for determining whether clay cookware and tabletop items are food-safe. Before purchasing, speak with your local potters to ensure their practices are in line with industry standards.
Where to Buy a Clay Pot
1 Mixteca Bean Pot ($79, ranchogordo.com) 2 La Chamba Soup Pot (From $40, mytoque.com) 3 Classic Terra Cotta Olla Stewing Pot ($63, latienda.com) 4 Round Dutch Oven (From $80, amazon.com) 5 Dum Biryani Pot ($56 for similar, EarthenBrowns on etsy.com) 6 Mexican Lidded Cazuela (author’s) 7 Cravings by Chrissy Teigen Tagine ($40, target.com) 8 Boston Baked Bean Pot (From $25, potshopofboston.com) 9 La Chamba Casserole (From $40, amazon.com) 10 Fukkura-san Tagine-Style Donabe (From $80, toirokitchen.com) 11 Chinese Clay Pot (From $8, wokshop.com) 12 Mole Pot (author’s) 13 Orion Langdon Bean Pot (From $125, pasquals.com) 14 Kamado-san Double-Lid Donabe Rice Cooker (From $135, toirokitchen.com) 15 Chinese Clay Pot (From $8, wokshop.com) 16 Indian Clay Curry Pot (From $30, amazon.com) 17 Mexican Cazuela ($41 for similar, mexgrocer.com) 18 Indian Clay Biryani Pot (From $28, amazon.com) 19 Korean Ddukbaegi (From $6, ekitchenary.com) 20 Hakeme Classic-Style All-Purpose Donabe (From $80, toirokitchen.com) 21 Mexican Cazuela ($41 for similar, mexgrocer.com)
