How To: Tinned Fish Board
My love of oysters is rivaled by my love of a bountiful charcuterie board. Take me to any restaurant with a meat and cheese board option, and I will make sure we are munching on some Prosciutto de Parma and creamy Camembert while perusing the rest of the menu. Part of the fun of ordering or preparing a charcuterie board is that the diner determines the make-up of the board.
“Charcuterie” refers to the art of salting, smoking, brining, or otherwise curing meats, most commonly pork. While not technically “charcuterie,” a tinned fish board seems like the natural seafood counterpart to the meat and cheese extravaganza. A tinned fish board is surprisingly versatile – it is something that pairs well with a brunch Bloody Mary bar, and can also be the main event at an outdoor lunch picnic. Plus, the endless number of tinned fish options give your dining guests complete creative license over their meals. For some added fun, whenever I serve a tinned fish board, I like to encourage my guests to make their own crostinis to see how many creative combinations we can create.
Tinned fish are generally sold at any local specialty grocery store. I really enjoy using the Ramon Peña brand, as I have found the products to be impressively fresh and incredibly affordable. When purchasing any type of seafood, I like to be able to track the product back to the fishermen. The Ramon Peña brand is devoted to transparency in their process, and their artisanal canners can trace back all of the seafood used in the products to specific fishermen and seafood auctions on the wharfs of Spain’s Iberian Peninsula. I am fortunate because I can obtain the Ramon Peña line of products at Island Creek’s The Shop raw bar, which is a quick walk from my home. But, all Ramon Peña products are available online as well as on Island Creek’s website.
Below are my tips and tricks on how I create some delicious tinned fish boards.
Tinned Fish: First, you will want to consider how many people you are sharing with and whether it is an appetizer or a full meal. I typically recommend 1 tin per person. This will give you a good selection of tins to pass and share, without being overwhelming. Tinned fish have a great shelf life, and most reputable brands are still reasonably inexpensive, often at $12-$32/tin (the more expensive tins are typically those of octopus and sea urchin). My favorite tinned fish selections include:
Ramon Peña Sardines with Padron Peppers. Deliciously salty with a little bit of brine, these gorgeous sardines hailing from the Mediterranean Sea are cleaned, toasted, ad packed in olive oil in a beautifully geometric pattern.
Ramon Peña Mussels in Pickled Sauce: Smoky and savory, these mussels are toasted and debearded before being canned in olive oil, vinegar, and savory spices. I like these mussels because they can be eaten straight out of the can, or they can be combined with some homemade tomato sauce and tossed with some bucatini a la Saltie Girl for a delicious pasta entrée.
Ramon Peña Octopus in Paprika Sauce: Peppery and luxurious in texture, the octopus used is selected at port and frozen for 3 days to ensure the best texture. After freezing, the octopus is cleaned, boiled, sliced, and canned with paprika, olive oil, and salt. These canned octopus slices can be eaten out of the can, or skewered and served with some broiled potatoes and celery.
Smoked Salmon: Whether you are picking up smoked salmon from a local producer like Ducktrap River Salmon, or from a local grocery story, a couple of slices of smoked salmon adds a great seafood option for your tinned fish board. Oftentimes, guests may be a little bit shy about diving headfirst into tinned fish, and a smoked salmon option will ensure timid diners are satisfied.
Bread & Crackers: Crunchy carbs are the natural serving vessels for your seafood. I like using lightly toasted Italian and Sourdough bread on my boards. After toasting my bread, I drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle on some sea salt for added flavor. Having slivers of bread will give your guests the option of making customized seafood crostinis, which is a fun way to make your ingredients even more unique.
Anything Pickled: The saltiness and smokiness of tinned fish pairs perfectly with some crunchy and briny pickled vegetables. I love pickled onions, cornichons, pickles, olives, capers, and artichoke hearts. If you are making Bloody Mary’s to pair with your tinned fish board, the pickled items can double as garnishes for your boozy beverages.
Tomatoes: Big juicy tomatoes lightly drizzled with good olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a crack of black pepper. The tomatoes themselves can be serving vessels for your tinned fish, or they can be placed on toast and garnished with some smoked salmon or some sardines.
Oysters: Yep, they had to make an appearance. 4-6 freshly shucked bivalves per person will amplify your tinned fish board game big time.
Caviar: Elevate your tinned fish board with a tin of caviar. Dollop the caviar on your oysters, or slather it on your toast for some added decadence.
Lemon: I garnish my tinned fish board with wedges of roughly 2-3 lemons. The squeezed lemon will add some brightness and acidity to your tinned fish selections, and guests can also use it on their oysters and in their beverages.
Boozy Beverages: Bloody Marys were meant for tinned fish boards. There is so much crossover between your board’s supporting cast and Bloody Mary garnishes, from olives, to lemon wedges, to an oyster on the 1/2 shell. Looking to get a little wild? I like adding a skewer with a sardine to my Bloody.
Going the Crostini Route? Here are some of my favorite ingredient combinations:
Tinned sardines, sliced tomato, pickled red onions, torn basil
Smoked mussels, mashed avocado, finely chopped cilantro and chives
Smoked salmon, mashed avocado, sliced cucumber, pickled shallots
Just remember, there is no set way how to build these tinned fish boards - your creativity and culinary preferences should lead the way!