Some foods are practical and pantry-friendly, and some make you feel like you’re treating yourself to a refined delicacy, but it’s the rare food that can do both. Enter tinned fish.
Behind the Recipes
The Accessible Luxury of Tinned Fish Dinners
With a stash of perfectly preserved seafood, whipping up anything from a homey pasta to an elegant meal is as easy as popping open a tin.
By Published Apr. 2, 2024.
Invented in the early 1800s as a protein source for Napoleon’s armies, this type of preserved fish has been valued for generations.
After lightly cooked seafood is packed into tins (or jars) with brine or—more enticingly—extra-virgin olive oil or a tasty sauce, the containers are sealed airtight and heated under pressure, which kills all potential spoilage microbes, preserving the delicate seafood like a time capsule that can last for years in your pantry.
Americans have long made do with tuna sandwiches, the occasional sardines-on-crackers snack, and anchovies draped onto pizza.
But the rest of the world has turned seafood conservas (as they are known in Spain and Portugal) into an art form by slipping ingredients such as garlic, chiles, and vinegar into tins packed with the finest seafood—from cockles to lobster to sea urchin to salmon—and packaging them in colorful wrappers and boxes.
Sign up for the Cook's Insider newsletter
The latest recipes, tips, and tricks, plus behind-the-scenes stories from the Cook's Illustrated team.
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
Composing a Seacuterie Board
When you want an elevated meal but are short on time, energy, or fresh ingredients, an array of tinned fish and some well-chosen accompaniments is an elegant 5-minute solution. Look for reasonably priced tins at your supermarket or order boutique conservas from online vendors such as Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co., Portugalia Marketplace, and Rainbow Tomatoes Garden.
- Plan on 1½ tins per person and think in terms of visual and textural variety when selecting them: smoky, flaky pink salmon or trout; meaty octopus bathed in extra-virgin olive oil; and delicate mussels in a tangy tomato sauce, for instance.
- Crusty bread is a universally appropriate base, but crackers, crostini, or potato chips can also provide welcome crunch.
- Though most fish are packed in oil, a swipe of salted butter or aioli can ratchet up the richness. Consider including a few jammy boiled eggs too.
- Acidic elements such as a spritz of lemon, a sprinkling of capers, or pickles complement the richness of the fish.
- Chopped watercress or arugula or dill sprigs contribute color and crisp freshness.
In recent years, this more elaborate approach has caught on here too.
Specialty shops, both brick-and-mortar and online, offer a dizzying selection of flavor-packed fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. Americans have begun snapping them up, finally recognizing that when it comes to making a quick yet high-quality meal, a stash of tinned seafood in the cupboard is like a cache of gems in a vault.
Turning Tinned Fish Into Full Meals
One of my favorites is a version of Sicily’s pasta con le sarde in which I swap tinned fish for the fresh that are used in Palermo. This dish juxtaposes classic Sicilian ingredients—sweet raisins and skillet-softened fennel and onion—with the brightness of white wine (I also add lemon juice for extra zing).
The sweet-sour combo provides a vibrant background for deeply savory, salty anchovies and meaty, subtly sweet sardines. I add the sardines after the pasta is off the heat so the fillets don’t dry out. My trick is to flake half of the fish so they cling to the spaghetti strands, but leave the other half intact so they break into satisfying chunks when tossed.
Our take on Sicily’s signature pasta con le sarde trades tinned fish for the usual fresh. Tinned smoked mackerel makes it possible to produce fancy open-faced sandwiches in minutes.
For a light meal that’s a bit more elevated, I head into tartine territory.
My favorite starts with a thick slice of rustic bread that’s been griddled on just one side so it’s both tender and crisp. Then, inspired by a smoked mackerel pâté that I loved to serve when I cooked at a restaurant in Scotland, I spread the ungriddled side with a mix of cream cheese, shallots, hot sauce, and Worcestershire.
The lush, savory blend is ideal for anchoring meaty flakes of mild oil-packed smoked mackerel (trout and tuna work well too). A scattering of radishes quick-pickled with dill provides acidity, fresh crunch, and the tiniest hint of bitterness, all of which bring the oily richness of the fish into focus.
