Books: Chris McDade’s The Magic of Tinned Fish
Books
Convenience from the Sea
By Edward Behr
The Magic of Tinned Fish by Chris McDade, Artisan Books, hardcover, $24.95 (2021).
This enthusiastic, colorful book warns, “Stay away from anything too cheap!” Also, take note of how the fish were caught, and choose fish packed in oil, not water. Chris McDade in The Magic of Tinned Fish names his favorite brands, including Cabo de Peñas, Ortiz, Pollastrini di Anzio, and Ramón Peña, which you might have to order, and he steers clear of tuna and salmon, because few sustainable examples exist. (McDade’s fish standards appear high, but he says that anchovy filets in oil are as good as whole anchovies in salt; to me, the ones in salt taste fresher.) He covers anchovies, sardines, mackerel, shellfish, squid, octopus, trout, and cod. The aim is to increase your appreciation for a long undervalued category, mainly through recipes. A few are simple, such as sardines, crackers, whole-grain mustard, and a squeeze of lemon; other combinations are complex but call for accessible techniques. Often, the recipes are takes on traditional Italian, Spanish, French, and US ones but made high-flavored in contemporary ways. Standing in for tuna in tuna salad is mackerel (it works), specifically mackerel canned in piri piri sauce combined with celery, cucumber, mixed fresh herbs, and jalapeño. There are Octopus Tostado with Roasted Pineapple and Avocado; Beer-Battered Sardines with Harissa; Bombolotti with Crab, Bacon, and Creamed Corn; Octopus with Crispy Potatoes and Aioli; and Mackerel, Green Bean, and Tomato Salad with Chorizo Vinaigrette. The recipes make you want to cook, but watch out. The flavors can be effusive, even unrestrained (microplaned garlic is intense), so you may want to pull back. ●
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