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Canned sardines & other tinned seafood

wannabechef

By wannabechef
in Cooking

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Kerala said:

IMG_20221027_213032.thumb.jpg.ade2de54398f7815eb9e32a3e504e48b.jpg

Well that sucks!

I'm flying back to the UK tomorrow. I picked up the Petingas tin, which is 90g, and without too much thought picked up the 2 tins of Cavala. The mackerel tins turned out to be 125g, drained weight 90g. The tins are subtly different in size.

Airport security will not allow >100mls liquid, so the two mackerel tins would be chucked. I'll have to leave them with a friend who, much as I love him, doesn't really care a great deal about the subtleties of taste.

Ah well, he does like fish.

 

Eat them quick?  Bribe airport security with one can and keep the other for yourself?  For how to bribe security officers with food watch the movie 1, 2, 3.

 

 

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cdh

cdh

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Do airports count a container that has _any amount_ of liquid in it as though it is completely full of liquid?  Objecting to a 100g can of sardines in olive oil because there could possibly be 100ml of olive oil in the can seems inane... but bureaucracies do what bureaucracies do, so not outside the realm of possibility...

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Christopher D. Holst aka "cdh"

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Anna N

Anna N

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9 minutes ago, cdh said:

Do airports count a container that has _any amount_ of liquid in it as though it is completely full of liquid?  Objecting to a 100g can of sardines in olive oil because there could possibly be 100ml of olive oil in the can seems inane... but bureaucracies do what bureaucracies do, so not outside the realm of possibility...

I wondered the same thing. But then I worked out in my mind that it was easier to say you could not take more than X millilitres of liquid on board than to try to account for all the exceptions which common sense dictates would not matter.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
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18 minutes ago, cdh said:

Do airports count a container that has _any amount_ of liquid in it as though it is completely full of liquid?  Objecting to a 100g can of sardines in olive oil because there could possibly be 100ml of olive oil in the can seems inane... but bureaucracies do what bureaucracies do, so not outside the realm of possibility...

 

Yeah, TSA uses the size of the container and anything larger than 100 ml is banned from carry-ons and has to be placed in checked baggage.  I brought a tube of toothpaste that was almost empty, thinking I'd use it up and toss it on the trip but it had to be pitched because I didn't have time to go back and check a bag. 

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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47 minutes ago, Kerala said:

OK, I went a bit nuts in duty-free, some explaining to do when I got home. 

...

There are worse things married men have to account for on returning from a trip to Portugal, right?

 

Hopefully you picked up some treats that especially appeal to the one who might need an explanation ... if not, then yes, you will have some 'splaining to do, Ricky! 🙃

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

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I've just had Nuri sardines for the first time, but since they are the spicy variety it makes no sense to compare them to the Matiz plain ones which is what I usually eat. The Nuri are very good. They seem a little hotter than the Nuri spicy mackerel, and I like them way better. The mackerel is not as tender and it is far more salty

 

In the past I've always eaten sardines with a little red onion and a squirt of lemon on toast. But now that I'm liking the spicy oil, I'm into them on sushi rice. One can is a bit stingy for two people, as with most sardines, but all the spicy oil gets used on the rice. Next up I'm going to order some Matiz spicy sardines, and see how they compare. My stockpile of sardines in growing. The lemon and tomato varieties don't really appeal to me. 

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btbyrd

btbyrd

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The salt levels on Nuris are inconsistent, which is unfortunate. You might have just gotten a salty batch of mack. The Matiz spicies are good, but they're a "one note" type of spice... just spicy hot without the clove, bay, and peppercorn hit that other spiced sardines can have. I like having both around, but the oil on the Nuris is more delicious. If you like things spicy hot, Rainbow Tomatoes Garden carries the new-ish extra spicy Nuris. They're a bit pricey at $8.50, but are worth a try if you like things hot.

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

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1 hour ago, btbyrd said:

The salt levels on Nuris are inconsistent, which is unfortunate. You might have just gotten a salty batch of mack. The Matiz spicies are good, but they're a "one note" type of spice... just spicy hot without the clove, bay, and peppercorn hit that other spiced sardines can have. I like having both around, but the oil on the Nuris is more delicious. If you like things spicy hot, Rainbow Tomatoes Garden carries the new-ish extra spicy Nuris. They're a bit pricey at $8.50, but are worth a try if you like things hot.

Sorry to hear your opinion about spice oil in the Matiz vs Nuri. Just comparing prices on the two spicy sardines on Amazon, the Matiz are selling a 5-pack for about $19. The Nuri are sold in a 2-pack for almost $15. So, a pretty different price point. Can't not try the Matiz, given that. I'll see what I think of the quality of the spicy oil.

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Anna N

Anna N

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Some imaginative ways to use canned fish. 
 

Example:

Sardine som tam

This Thai-style salad is full of flavour and really easy to put together. Deep-frying makes tinned sardines really crisp, so you can easily crumble them over the top.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

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"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

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On 10/29/2022 at 12:10 PM, btbyrd said:

The salt levels on Nuris are inconsistent, which is unfortunate. You might have just gotten a salty batch of mack. The Matiz spicies are good, but they're a "one note" type of spice... just spicy hot without the clove, bay, and peppercorn hit that other spiced sardines can have. I like having both around, but the oil on the Nuris is more delicious. If you like things spicy hot, Rainbow Tomatoes Garden carries the new-ish extra spicy Nuris. They're a bit pricey at $8.50, but are worth a try if you like things hot.

I finally got around to trying the Matiz spicy sardines. I think they are hotter than the Nuri. Without a side to side comparison it is hard for me to say the Nuri spicy ones are more nuanced, as you suggest. Ot course I really can't imagine a side by side tasting of spicy foods, it would just be too complicated to distinguish one heat from another after the first bite.

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btbyrd

btbyrd

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By “nuanced” I just meant that the spicy Nuris have clove, black pepper, and bay leaf (and carrot and pickled cucumber) in addition to the heat from the chili. The flavor on the Matiz spiced sardines is just from chili, so the overall flavor of the oil is more one dimensional. It is hotter though. Both are great, though if I could only have one it’d have to be the Nuris.

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

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3 hours ago, btbyrd said:

By “nuanced” I just meant that the spicy Nuris have clove, black pepper, and bay leaf (and carrot and pickled cucumber) in addition to the heat from the chili. The flavor on the Matiz spiced sardines is just from chili, so the overall flavor of the oil is more one dimensional. It is hotter though. Both are great, though if I could only have one it’d have to be the Nuris.

You didn't say "nuanced." I did. You stated that the Nuri's had more character or flavor notes and that the Matiz was "one dimensional." Meaning the opposite of nuanced. I am in no way disagreeing with you! In fact my husband and I agreed that it was hard to taste anything but the heat in the Matiz.  Although I could not have nailed the various flavors as you did. Or were you reading a label? Maybe I should check out the tin more closely, next time I am in the kitchen. Otherwise you are indeed a super-taster.

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weinoo

weinoo

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This is a fairly new company in the tinned fish world; comes from one of my favorite restaurant groups, where the owners and chefs decided to try something a little different and got into the canned fish biz, along with their 3 restaurants.

 

MINOOW

Quote

 

Minnow was started by the team behind New York City restaurants Hart's, Cervo's and The Fly.

We've always cultivated a love for sharing good food and wine in our restaurants, and now with Minnow, we hope to share this appreciation with you in your home.

We partner with canneries around the world that share our values of sustainable, traceable seafood caught at the height of the season and meticulously preserved in tins.

 

 

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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btbyrd

btbyrd

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On 11/13/2022 at 2:00 AM, Katie Meadow said:

You didn't say "nuanced." I did. You stated that the Nuri's had more character or flavor notes and that the Matiz was "one dimensional." Meaning the opposite of nuanced. I am in no way disagreeing with you! In fact my husband and I agreed that it was hard to taste anything but the heat in the Matiz.  Although I could not have nailed the various flavors as you did. Or were you reading a label? Maybe I should check out the tin more closely, next time I am in the kitchen. Otherwise you are indeed a super-taster.

 

I'm definitely not a super-taster! The Nuris have a piece of bay, a clove, and a peppercorn hanging out in the tin (along with the chili, carrot, and pickle), so it's not like the spices are a secret. But they vary somewhat from tin to tin, with most being close to the average. (Same with the salt level.) My first tin of Nuris was a clove bomb and I loved it, but none since then have had that same level. Except for one rogue tin of their spiced mackerel filets. Whatever the case, it's clear from tasting the oil that the flavor isn't just coming from the chili. I find clove to be pretty distinctive, so I can usually suss out that note... the other flavors are mostly a background spice melange.

 

On a related note, I recently discovered that Minerva makes a tin of sardines in olive oil with clove. Since I'm apparently so keen on that flavor, it's on my "to try" list for sure.

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Kerala

Kerala

Posted
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19 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Any opinions on the quality of the different brands?

 

I didn't really make a systematic purchase, more like a smash and grab. Various fish, various styles. They all taste milder and lighter than the usual UK supermarket brands, and the texture of the flesh is less compressed. It tastes less... denatured. I liked the subtle herb and spice additions in the cans of Pinhais. I was so pleased the tomato sauce was not the thick slurry I expected.

This is definitely the start of another regular indulgence.

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Kerala

Kerala

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IMG_20221122_143340.thumb.jpg.989a0a3565c0af328b82c5590f2fefaa.jpg

I didn't do a tuna/mayo mix for this baked potato! The tuna was light and sweet, the pieces flaking along the muscle planes without crumbling.

In the UK supermarket aisles there's often a wall of different brands of canned tuna, with little or no other fish. I'm fed up with it, and virtually never buy it anymore. I only eat it mashed up with mayo, either in a sandwich or in a baked potato, certainly never by itself. This is another... uhm... kettle of..🐟

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Kerala

Kerala

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On 8/28/2022 at 10:46 AM, Kerala said:

Wow, @JoNorvelleWalker

those sardines are almost 10 times the cost of my Sainsbury's ones here in the UK!

IMG_20220828_101856.thumb.jpg.1912f7adfa2dc37eef0cdd61fbaf1853.jpg

Splashed with a little white wine vinegar and with a few flakes of salt crumbled over them, they were very nice for breakfast. Will I investigate Pinhais further? I suspect resistance will be futile!

 

 

(Just re-reading this thread.)

At least I know myself!

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