All up! A super satisfying aide to extending horizons about canned fish!

The Tinned Fish Cookbook by Bart van Olphen           



A tinned fish cookbook I thought! Great! We always have tins of sardines, anchovies, salmon and and tuna lurking in our cupboards. I hate the first two so just maybe there's a way to use them that I'd enjoy!

(note: Of course anchovies are absolute requirement crushed up in a Caesar salad dressing or as part of the sauce for vitello tonnato, but never where I can actually taste them!)
And who knew that sardines are thing of passion, like a fine red wine, and should be turned occasionally. I ask myself, "does that hold true for my $1.25 can from the local store or should I be casting my sights further afield to a specialty import shop?" I just can't see doing that with my el cheapo cans. As a bonus I can choose to be environmentally conscious by selecting my fish according to its sustainability rating.
I was fascinated by the discussion about whether to use fish canned in oil or water, and now I know what to choose and why. Over the years I'd avoided fish in oil due to weight constraints but van Olphen's cooking related reasoning gives me fresh insights I've never considered before.
All that aside, this an interesting collection of recipes and instructions that do elevate a simple staple of most people's cupboards into, if not haute cuisine, at least into something way more satisfying.
I must admit the Anchovies and Tomato Confit on Toast look divine, as do the Dumplings! The vey colorful photography brings this book alive along with van Olphen's user friendly commentary. There's a Sardine Humus recipe and a likely looking Sardine and Leek Tart with Tarragon, that also has goat's cheese--all ingredients I adore. Now these I think might be the place to start for this non sardine user. I'm certainly up for it, rather than hubby's mashed sardines and vinegar on toast!
Apart from this the focus on choosing fish sustainably obtained is a no brainer for those who care about depleted fishing areas and the ongoing support for fisher communities and the survival of other marine inhabitants.
I also really like the cover. Unpretentious and immediate!

An Experiment ARC via NetGalley


*****

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