Can canned fish taste good?

February 26, 2020 10:31 AM

After reading this article on Heated, I'm inspired to try more canned seafood. My only exposure to it here in the US has mainly been canned tuna (which I love, especially when lit on fire), anchovies, and sardines. I've never been able to develop a palate for the latter I'm guessing due to the quality of what I've tried. (This is not even mentioning the pickled creamed herring I've seen my FIL eat!) What specific brands and preparations do you recommend? What might help me get over my aversion and learn to love the potted pescado?

And please, I'm not interested in debating the health impacts or sustainability issues surrounding canned seafood. Thanks!

posted by slogger to Food & Drink (48 answers total)

Trader Joe's canned smoked trout and their yellowfin tuna.
posted by jgirl at 10:39 AM on February 26, 2020 [8 favorites]

Here's the key with sardines: boneless, skinless, packed in oil, no additional flavorings beyond salt (you'll sometimes see it packed in mustard, etc.). Beyond those parameters, brand doesn't seem to matter much.

Drain it, toss in a bowl, add a generous dollop of brown mustard and the juice of 1/4 - 1/2 a lemon. Mash it all up together. Delicious on its own or with crackers, toast or the like.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:40 AM on February 26, 2020 [7 favorites]

Yesss smoked trout is excellent. Flake it onto a salad, make a spread for crackers with capers and whatnot, you name it. It's like fish bacon. It was a huge revelation to me!
posted by wintersweet at 10:49 AM on February 26, 2020 [7 favorites]

Sardines packed in olive oil on toast with red onion. Take off their little tails
posted by canoehead at 10:52 AM on February 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

If I recall my Alton Brown Good Eats episodes correctly, sardines as sold in the US are often actually just any small, oily fish (i.e.: not any particular species of fish). So, the properties and quality of the fish may be kind of hit-or-miss, even within one brand. However, sardines sold as brisling sardines seem to be more uniform (and better imho) in quality. They're normally using small enough fish that each can should contain several whole filets (like this). King Oscar was the brand I used to buy of these until my local supermarket stopped stocking it. I've switchged over to "Tiny Tots" brand which is stocked at my local Target (and turns out to be a sub-brand of King Oscar).

Anyways, my main use of sardines involves putting them in pasta with capers, parmesan cheese, (and whatever else looks good like, say, roasted red pepper or olives), using olive oil as the sauce. I'll also eat them on crackers with a little hot sauce or mustard.
posted by mhum at 10:54 AM on February 26, 2020 [5 favorites]

I am a big sardines-packed-in-olive-oil aficionado and my favorite brands are TJ’s and the ones sold at Costco (can’t remember the brand but there’s only ever one). Don’t even bother with sardines in water; they’re disgusting.
posted by HotToddy at 11:08 AM on February 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

My gateway drug to the wider world of canned fish was Brunswick's Kippered Herring. I find them drier and flakier than other herring preparations, and my preferred way to eat them is on a light rye Wasa cracker doused liberally in Tapatio.
posted by stellaluna at 11:08 AM on February 26, 2020 [3 favorites]

Yep, I came in to invoke Alton Brown as well, who turned the world on to brisling sardines and avocado. I also use them more or less the same as tuna for salad, or mashed with a little cream cheese and sour cream and seasonings as a spread.

Creamed or pickled/jarred herring is very nice, very mild - texturally it's unmistakably fish but it's not fishy-tasting really. If you eat toast, that's a no-brainer, or a really good cracker. If you want to go less carby, it (and any other fish salad) is good on sliced cucumbers, zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomato halves or a firm slicer tomato, or onto a bit of sturdy lettuce.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:10 AM on February 26, 2020

I was coming in here to write the pasta recommendation mhum already noted. Ex-husband used to make this and it's one of the things I'm grateful to him for teaching me!
posted by queensissy at 11:15 AM on February 26, 2020

they arent everyones taste but i'd recommend you give smoked oysters in a can a shot. theyre not fishy like sardines and oily fish can be (although they are very distinctive). Theyre definitely more of a snacking food - on a cracker or piece of bread, or along side crudite is how id eat them (or, more realistically, straight from the can as a snack).
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:16 AM on February 26, 2020 [8 favorites]

I recommend the King Oscar kippered herring also. I also like Wild Planet's Lightly Smoked Sardines in Olive Oil. Smoking in general seems to render seafood much tastier to my palate, and given that you like your tuna "smoked" that may work well for you.
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:17 AM on February 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

Goya brand canned octopus is great. I like the spicy kind. I just eat it right out of the can, but beware -- it's very rich.

Smoked colossal oysters are great, too. There are a ton of brands, but I'm not particular to any one of them -- just make sure to get the colossal kind. They're good on toast.

This is a slight derail, but jarred, whole Italian anchovy fillets are great. I get those over the canned variety. The canned ones taste good but the amount is odd and they don't keep as well (once opened).

Another vote for King Oscar sardines. I like the teeny tiny ones, whole, in oil. I eat those on pasta, like above.
posted by rue72 at 11:18 AM on February 26, 2020 [3 favorites]

(yep, I also love smoked oysters in a can as Exceptional_Hubris cited. Clearly, smoke 'em if you got 'em!)
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:19 AM on February 26, 2020

In my personal opinion, canned smoked fish must be eaten on a Triscuit. I like it on plain Triscuits, low fat Triscuits, and rye Triscuits. This goes for smoked oysters, smoked clams, Bar Harbor wild smoked kippers, and King Oscar sardines.
posted by bananana at 11:27 AM on February 26, 2020 [5 favorites]

Whenever I'm making any kind of oil-based sauce, like pasta aglio e olio, I throw in a few anchovy filets, maybe two or three depending on how many people I'm cooking for, after the oil is heated up and before I add any other ingredients. If you use a spatula to break up the anchovy as it's heating, it kind of dissolves (not quite, of course, but it seems to become part of the oil). It adds a really nice spicy, earthy flavor to the dish, and most people probably wouldn't even be able to identify it as anchovy. I can't recall the brand of anchovy I use, but it comes in a yellow tin; Trader Joe's carries them.
posted by holborne at 11:30 AM on February 26, 2020 [4 favorites]

Polar brand sardines whole in oil are very good. You can eat all of it, the bones, the tails. I also like King Oscar ones of the Mediterranean variety, with olives and some other stuff in there. I would second the Goya octopus suggestion, and add the Goya squid in its own ink. Delicious. Smoked oysters, too.

My favorite way to eat all of these is on tortilla chips with good salsa, along with cheese, olives, and fruit.
posted by fiercecupcake at 11:47 AM on February 26, 2020

I can't recall the brand of anchovy I use, but it comes in a yellow tin; Trader Joe's carries them.

Cento.
Mmmmm, also good in sautéed greens, using the technique you describe.
posted by the_blizz at 12:00 PM on February 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

Also, jarred smoked herring in oil (not the stuff with sugar in it, though...). Great with potatoes, onions, and vodka.
posted by the_blizz at 12:02 PM on February 26, 2020

Seconding tiny fishes in pasta sauce! I started with pasta puttanesca (I wing it at this point; this is pretty similar to what I do) and now do this with many pasta sauces.

Also delicious: anchovy dressing over bitter greens (the linked recipe calls for romaine, which is fine, just not stunningly delicious like anchovy dressing over bitter greens like radicchio, frisee, escarole. Sardines are great in the dressing instead of anchovies, too.

If you have sturdy cooking greens that need a hit of heat, you can saute some olive oil, garlic, and anchovies, then add the greens to that instead of making a cold salad.

Tiny fishes also pair beautifully with lamb, believe it or not: roast leg of lamb with anchovy and rosemary.

Two classics to close with:
anchovies on pizza
caesar salad
posted by carrioncomfort at 12:35 PM on February 26, 2020 [3 favorites]

That tuna fire thing -- whoa.... I'm gonna need to try that!

Regarding sardines: I agree with all of the above notes, but will add that I always check the label for sardines that are packed in two layers. The fish are smaller, and taste better (at least to me).
posted by spilon at 12:45 PM on February 26, 2020

Zingerman's sells fancy sardines that I haven't tried but are probably excellent. They have a fair amount of tinned and smoked seafood, actually.
posted by praemunire at 1:08 PM on February 26, 2020

We go through jars of Riga Gold smoked Sprats in oil like crazy. Such tasty tiny fish!
posted by fimbulvetr at 1:31 PM on February 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

For sardines, I like Portuguese or Spanish brands (Matiz, Bela; the Wild Planet ones are also acceptable), I prefer the ones with skin and bones, packed in olive oil.

I always drain the oil well as it retains a funky taste, using fresh olive oil in my dish. I like them with greens and/or pasta (with lemon and olives and garlic) but I try to rest the sardines in pieces on my dish as I prefer them intact rather than kind of mushed into the dish.
posted by vunder at 1:43 PM on February 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

Here are some suggestions for things to do with sardines, from the YouTuber known as Alex French Guy Cooking:
6 Creative Recipes Using 1 Can of Sardines ! (Part 1) (French Marinated Sardines in Escabeche sauce; Japanese Unagi Don with Canned Sardines; Italian Pasta with Sardines and Fennel: Pasta con le sarde.)
6 Creative Recipes Using 1 Can of Sardines !! (Part 2) (Sardines Kurma Curry; Fried Sardines in Chimichurri sauce; Sardine Spread rolls)
posted by Lexica at 1:54 PM on February 26, 2020

I'm glad to see the Sprat love on the green.

This dish takes a little preparation, but once you do you'll probably be hooked; there's a nice russian restaurant in Portland called Kachka which makes a Sprat Buterbrodi. The flavors therein unlock one of the power-flavor combos out there. I find that enjoying tinned fish is much nicer when you cut the fishy with a vinegar hit, and a fresh herb hit. This does both, and the sweetness from the rye ties it all together.
posted by furnace.heart at 2:10 PM on February 26, 2020

My mom used to make salmon patties (aka salmon cakes) using canned salmon all the time. They are fried and us kids gobbled them up. They didn't taste fishy at all.
posted by tacodave at 2:17 PM on February 26, 2020 [5 favorites]

King Oscar is probably my favorite major brand, but I'm lucky to live in a Caribbean neighborhood and my local shops have a TON of brands with interesting flavors which I've never seen anywhere else.

One thing I like doing with large sardines is to bread and pan-fry them (just enough to crisp the breading, since they're already ready to eat). These are great as the main ingredient in sandwiches.
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:18 PM on February 26, 2020

I prefer canned salmon to canned tuna — I shop for sustainability so I get wild pink salmon, but it's not super expensive. (Don't bother with sockeye, it's not a fish that stands up well to canning and it's SO expensive. Pink is where it's at.) You can do all sorts of things: on pasta with capers, as 'tuna salad', as burgers/fish cakes. Fish cakes can be dressed up in a lot of ways: with rice and kimchi, or tartar sauce and potatoes, or Thai-style with sweet chili sauce. I don't have a specific recipe to recommend because I tend to make up my own.

I love smoked oysters but I don't eat them straight, I prefer them cooked in omelettes. Canned clams are great, as Pasta alle Vongole or clam chowder. Canned farmed bivalves (not wild, the opposite of salmon) are among the most sustainable proteins you can get* — they're comparable in impact to non-meat options. They're also high in easily digestible iron for the anaemic among us. And they're cheap!

(*Source: I used to write about ocean issues professionally. But I'm definitely not going to lecture anyone, I still eat meat.)
posted by 100kb at 2:54 PM on February 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

Canned mackerel is delightful if you can find it. I won some from King Oscar once but have never found such in a store.
posted by Riverine at 3:07 PM on February 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

Not inexpensive, but Dave's products are really great, as also are Ortiz's.

Seconding King Oscar in olive oil for a good sardine brand. My mother always ate her sardines on crusty bread (bread spread with a bit of unsalted butter if you prefer). Just drain the oil off, put sardines on the bread, and smash/spread onto the bread slice with a fork for an open face sandwich; you can add some onion if you like.
posted by gudrun at 5:22 PM on February 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

Also suggesting smoked oysters! As a kid on Christmas Eve we always placed smoked oysters on Saltines, using a toothpick, which was super fancy and fun. I still love this combo. Great question and great answers!
posted by sucre at 6:03 PM on February 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

Anchovies like these aren't to my taste.

Not strictly canned, but in plastic containers in oil:

Anchovies like these - boquerones/white anchovies; on a baguette with some olive oil, and paired with a nice manzanilla sherry = heaven.


Fruits de mer are sold at whole foods, here are another couple of brands
posted by lalochezia at 6:37 PM on February 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

Ortiz Bonito Del Norte Tuna In Olive OIl, Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce, serve on torn Green lettuce.
posted by Chitownfats at 6:44 PM on February 26, 2020

Ramirez brand sardines in olive oil, if you can find them. Big fat dudes with no bones and so much meaty textures and flavour. The Portuguese know their sardines.
posted by area.man at 7:13 PM on February 26, 2020

I feel like a character in an Iris Murdoch novel for saying this, but: I can't overemphasize how much sardines are improved by the freshly squeezed juice of a lemon. Transformed, really.

On the other hand: smoked sprats are so good they don't need to be transformed.
posted by aws17576 at 8:08 PM on February 26, 2020

Alton Brown is not a fan of canned tuna because it tends to get overcooked. He recommends the pouch variety.
Trader Joe's used to have sardines in harissa, which was wonderful.
Seconding also their smoked trout. It's a little salty, but delicious.
posted by plinth at 8:10 PM on February 26, 2020

Mackerel in olive oil over rice bowl with mustard and nori ,
Smoked oysters with tiny red peppers amp basil garlic pasta sauce .
posted by hortense at 9:09 PM on February 26, 2020

Nthing the idea of finding Portuguese sardines. Bela is the brand most readily available in my area. I've had some of their other canned fish products, and they're also good.

Also seconding the Wild Planet brand, again, everything I've tried from them has been tasty - especially their anchovies, which are not preserved in salted brine, they're just delicious little fish, even milder than sardines.
posted by soundguy99 at 5:16 AM on February 27, 2020

Apologies if this turns out to be an unhelpfully UK-centric answer, but:

Canned mackerel - if you can find it in spring water rather than in oil, all the better - mashed up with copious quantities of malt vinegar and eaten on hot wholemeal toast. So much better than the sum of its parts.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 6:57 AM on February 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

1) I think canned seafood is about to enter renaissance. Enjoy it now before the hipsters come in and drive the price up. I'm not sure how much I'm joking.

2) Fisherman's Eggs this link goes to a pretty dressed-up version, but I just cook whatever veggies are lying around, mash up the sardines, cook a bit more, then throw three eggs on it using the cooking times listed. Great hearty breakfast.
posted by seansbrain at 7:20 AM on February 27, 2020

We use canned salmon in oven baked risotto. Lots of recipes online for oven baked risotto for the general method. Add the salmon towards the end with 10 mins to go along with a can of mushy peas (really!) (normal frozen peas will do, but mushy peas ftw!). Season at the end with chopped fresh herbs like parsley and mint and a good hunk of butter, salt and pepper.
posted by like_neon at 7:33 AM on February 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

Canned mackerel is delightful if you can find it. I won some from King Oscar once but have never found such in a store.

YMMV but I seriously think they have this in Walmart in eastern Connecticut. Their canned seafood aisle is solid.
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:22 PM on February 27, 2020

tacodave, we may be siblings. My mom fried up delicious salmon patties. By law, these must be served with potatoes fried with onions, and "them little Le Sueur peas."

Now I'm hungry and I miss my mom.
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 2:44 PM on February 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

The smaller sardines taste the best. Look for brands that say how many fish per can. My long time favorite is King Oscar Wild Caught Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 12-22 fish per can.
posted by Homer42 at 3:08 PM on February 27, 2020

This stuff, can be a bit bony but is great with some white rice (you need something to go with it at any rate as the black beans are salty, though I can imagine the oil being good for dipping bread in too).
posted by juv3nal at 4:03 PM on February 27, 2020

Oh just noticed someone else mentioning smoked oysters. Ditto on those. Texture is not the most appealing, but the smoky/umami flavour is pretty great. I like to hit em with a bit of hot sauce.
posted by juv3nal at 4:05 PM on February 27, 2020

Maybe give Freshe a try. I quite like them.
posted by schoolgirl report at 5:45 PM on February 27, 2020

Smoked mussels are great right out of the can, in a Caesar salad, or added to a tomato sauce.
posted by lobstah at 8:02 PM on February 27, 2020