The Tinned Fish Cookbook

May 4, 2020
Those who dismiss canned fish are doing themselves a disservice, argues van Olphen, the founder of Fish Tales, a collective focused on sustainable fisheries, in this useful collection of recipes relying on canned fish. “Unlike its fresh and frozen counterparts, the fish that goes into tins is almost all caught in the wild... and often caught in peak season.” He includes recipes for standbys such as tuna melts, salmon cakes, and Niçoise salad (though sadly there is not a recipe for crab cakes). Enticing dishes include tuna and olive-stuffed romano peppers; Mas Huni, a spicy tuna salad with coconut, lime, and fresh curry leaves that’s a favorite among fishermen in the Maldives; artichoke with anchovy dip; mackerel asparagus salad with sesame vinaigrette; and a spot-on salad with quinoa tabbouleh and sardines. In nearly every case, home cooks can easily source and prepare these dishes, though Olphen offers little by way of managing expectations for the finished dish or why it works—for example, readers are on their own to determine what anchovies bring to classic Potato Dauphinoise, or the impact of sardines on classic hummus. Still, there are plenty of hits here for those wanting to conveniently incorporate seafood into their meals.