I need a snack. I need to throw something together for dinner, and quickly. I open up my cupboard and there are a couple of brightly colored boxes. The contents? Tins of beautiful octopus and razor clams. Dinner dilemma solved. I am going to make something delicious with this tinned fish.
What is tinned fish? In the simplest terms, seafood at its peak of freshness is packed into a can and heated to seal and preserve. It can be packed in oil or water, and seasoned with all types of different flavorings. It is a ready to eat product that is full of nutrients, high-quality protein, healthy fats, and fatty acids.
Everyone is familiar with canned tuna. I love it. I will crush a tuna salad sandwich with some spicy giardiniera, and often crave a tuna melt. But tinned fish goes far beyond tuna, or that tin of sardines that your uncle used to snack on with crackers. Think mussels in escabeche, wild mackerel in chili oil, and smoked lemon-pepper oysters.
The popularity of tinned fish has exploded in recent years, but cultures from around the globe have celebrated tinned fish for centuries. I remember when natural wine bars in the U.S. first started popping up several years ago, with food programs centered entirely on tinned fish. It was a trend that I could get behind. In Spain and Portugal, for example, this wasn’t a trend. It was tradition.
Back to my cupboard. I’ve got some Spanish razor clams in brine and octopus in garlic sauce. Time to see what else is in the fridge and get creative.
I usually keep some really nice bread in my freezer. I like to slice it and keep it in a freezer bag. That way I can pull out a slice anytime I might need. This is one of those times. I also always have some homemade chili crisp in my fridge. I’ve developed a killer recipe and I use it a bunch. Let’s make a lovely little toast snack. This recipe doesn’t really have any measurements. Choose your own adventure.
Razor Clam and Chili Crisp Toast
Serves: 1-4
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Razor Clams in Brine
Thick cut bread
Butter
Chili Crisp
Scallions sliced thin
Sesame seeds
1. Melt some butter in a pan to toast the bread. When one side is golden brown, flip to toast the other side. Add your clams to the butter to gently warm.
2. Slice the toasted bread into bite sized portions, distribute the warm clams, top with chili crisp, and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
The buttery and crunchy bread is a great compliment to the sweet clams and the slightly spicy chili crisp. The scallions and sesame add some freshness and texture. Excellent snack.
I always have some preserved lemons on hand. I make them in big batches and love the complex flavor that they contribute to dishes. They will be lovely with my octopus. I also have a chunk of tartufo salami. The funky, porky goodness is going to add some nice nuance. And of course, fresh herbs. Always fresh herbs.
Octopus and Salami Bucatini
Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
1/2 pound bucatini (or any long pasta)
About 1 cup of salted pasta water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
2 ounces tartufo salami, small pieces
1 3.8 ounce tin Octopus in Garlic Sauce
2 tablespoons preserved lemon, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
Pinch of chili flake
1 handful of parsley leaves and some stem, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
2. In a sauté pan, crisp the salami in the olive oil, remove from the oil and set aside.
3. Pat the octopus dry, and quickly crisp in the residual oil, being careful not to overcook, remove from oil and set aside
4. Add the garlic, preserved lemon, and chili flake to the oil, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the pasta water to the pan and bring to a boil.
6. Add the pasta and stir to coat, then add the parsley and toss thoroughly.
7. Return the crisped salami and octopus to the pan. Drizzle olive oil and crack some black pepper.
This pantry pasta dish came together beautifully. The punchy flavor of the preserved lemon and rich salami paired perfectly with the delicate octopus. Great textures, great balance, and on the table in under 30 minutes. Mission accomplished!
I love cooking like this - seeing what I have on hand and getting creative with ingredients. All you need is some pantry staples and some specialty items. The possibilities are endless!
At The Chopping Block, we love to teach how to balance flavors and encourage creativity. Especially in our Culinary Boot Camp and Flavor Dynamics courses, both of which are coming up in January. We hope to see you there to spread the knowledge!
