NO AI. Ever.
Well we have come to a temporary end to the Tinned Fish Saga! Obviously, it has been a minute since my last post- longer than usual! Summer got a bit busy with moving to a new place with a new roommate and getting all settled into the new job and new life and all the new things!
Adventures have continued and I have a backlog of food, camping, and birding blogs to write!
I really need to find a better way to get things written as they are happening rather than waiting for later once my brain has moved onto the next shiny thing! The curse of the former gifted kid!
Anyways, we’re here for tinned fish today! And I do have about twice as many as usual on this post since I never got around to writing a previous episode. So this is a good one to go out on!
I do intend to do more tinned fish in the future but I need to take a break for a bit while I try to save up and pay off some lingering debt. So let’s get to it. Season Finale!
Patagonia Smoked Mussels
They are as advertised. Mussels. That are smoked. To be fair, this is a really tasty way to do mussels but on their own they are a bit plain. Definitely needs a good crusty bread and maybe some sort of tomato spread. Otherwise, slightly above mid. 6/10
Jose Mackerel Fillet in Olive Oil
Mackerel is just a very fishy fish. I keep on trying it because I want to like it- It is a beautiful fish when available whole- but it’s just so strongly flavored. To be clear, it isn’t bad, it is just strong. This isn’t a fish that should be eaten on its own and it really benefits from other complementing strong flavors- like the other mackerel later on this list. 4/10
Rillets de Thon- Au Fromage Frais
Fancy shredded tuna is fancy. Maybe it’s the years of only knowing tinned fish as grocery store canned tuna but this just didn’t do it for me. It was kind of like the flavored pouches of snacking tuna you can get pretty regularly in grocery stores now, but it was still just canned tuna. It’s amazing how different- and worse- tuna tastes when its canned compared to fresh cooked. 4/10
Clams in Brine
Another middling shellfish unfortunately, although the brine on this one hurts them. While most of the tinned fish I try are complemented and improved by whatever they are tinned in, this one was just a stabilizer. Salty something to keep the clams fresh and safe to eat after being on a shelf for however long. I like clams, and the clams themselves were very delicious! But the saltwater was just waste to be drained away and then the clams felt very lacking. This is certainly one that is intended to be used in a recipe. 5/10
Mouettes D’Arvor- Sardines with sundried tomatoes and Olive Oil
Honestly, at this point, I don’t think you can go wrong with sardines! I understand why they are so popular among tinned fish enthusiasts! That said, these might be some of my least favorite I have tried so far. Again, not bad, but not what I was expecting and with a surprise spiciness I wasn’t ready for! I am usually a sucker for sun dried tomatoes but these just didn’t have much flavor and overall the tin was a little lackluster- especially compared to other sardines. 6/10
King Oscar- Mackerel in Sweet Chili Oil
Now this is the way to do Mackerel! The strong flavor of the fish with the strong flavor of the sweet chili oil are wonderful complements and make a satisfying and tasty snack! The mackerel itself is a little dryer in texture, a bit like overcooked pork. That’s the only detractor from this tin though.
Absolutely delicious combination! Oh, and don’t be turned off by the fact that it is chili oil, it wasn’t too spicy for me so it probably isn’t too spicy for anyone! 9/10
Conservas de Cambados- Agujas in olive oil
A second try at the garfish just in a standard olive oil. The last ones I tried were in escebeche and I have since learned I don’t like that sauce so I wanted to give these another chance. They were just fine. Nothing exciting, but not bad either. I probably wouldn’t have them again simply because I would rather spend the money on sardines. 4/10
Al Pomodoro- Sardines in Tomato sauce
I don’t know how I ended with two subpar sardines in one batch but here we are. The sauce on this one is the problem (I mean what else would it be, sardines can do no wrong.) The tomato sauce on this one is just very tomatoey, a bit acidic and overpowering. Might benefit from some light cooking and some sort of carb to soak it up a bit. 5/10
Tuna with Orange and Clove
Well, it’s canned tuna with orange and clove. The orange and clove is a really nice flavor but I just can’t get past that canned tuna flavor. Give me this combo with Sardines, I bet it’ll be amazing! But since it’s tuna… 5/10
Jose- Spiced Calamari in Ragout Sauce
Oh my god what an excellent tin to end the season on. These might be my first 10 out of 10. Would absolutely eat again and am excited to get some on my next order! I cannot overstate how delicious these little squids were! So my first experience with tinned squid was in ink, which was a bit much and just wasn’t a great representative of what I know calamari to be.
This tin completely blows that out of the water and resets all expectations at a much higher bar! No ink on this one, which is fine, squid ink is an acquired taste. But it’s so much more than just squids in sauce. The little squids are STUFFED full of the savory meat sauce and bathed in the tomatoey goodness. These are a meal on their own but could be added to garlic bread or noodles with certain success. Just writing about these now is giving me cravings!!
100/10
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