Combo Pack: Feast of the Seven Fishes, Classic Version

Description

We asked Evan S. Benn — an award-winning food journalist, Philadelphia Inquirer editor, the writer who put RTG in The New York Times, and an original curator of our 10 Tins to Try and Why series — to create a Feast of the Seven Fishes combo pack with inspired menu suggestions. He made two: a classic Feast with seven tins that comes in under $100 (that’s this one), and a Grand Feast with some of his favorite upgraded tins (listed as a separate item). Both make great gifts for the tinned-fish curious and aficionados alike (or just get one or both for yourself – that’s totally allowed).      

FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES COMBO PACK 1 

THE FEAST, AND THE FISHES

Course 1: Caesar Bites, with Olasagasti Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil: We start off our feast with an amuse bouche of sorts, one- or two-bite lettuce cups that we’re topping with anchovies two ways. Layered atop the lettuce are pieces of anchovy, shaved parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs, all topped with an anchovy-forward Caesar dressing. Olasagasti is my go-to anchovy when making Caesars, with the right texture to help emulsify the dressing and a good balance of meatiness and saltiness in the whole fillets.      

Course 2: Crab “Dip,” with Groix & Nature Crab Rillettes: You’re going to want your favorite potato chip here — a plain salted kettle chip is great, sea salt and vinegar or sour cream and onion even better, a Crab Chip might just be mind-blowing  — onto which you’re going to generously scoop Groix & Nature’s Crab Rillettes. Repeat until the jar is empty, and garnish with chives if you’re feeling fancy. It’s creamy and buttery and oniony and salty and crabby and crunchy — everything you want in a bite.    

Course 3: Salmon Tea Sandwiches, with Fangst Faroe Islands Salmon with Sea Buckthorn and Lemon Verbena: Make classic tea sandwiches, but swap the oily smoked salmon for Fangst’s fantastic Faroe Islands salmon — flaky with big citrusy notes from organic sea buckthorn and lemon verbena. Some cream cheese, a few slices of quick-pickled cucumber or radish, all tucked between small pieces of squared-off bread. Be sure to eat with pinkies up.    

Course 4: Radicchio and Arugula Salad, with Matiz Wild Cod in Spanish Olive Oil: Get into the holiday spirit with a red-and-green salad dressed simply with mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil (be sure to include the tin juices in that mix!). That heap of beautiful, bitter lettuces serves as a bed for flaky wild cod with a fresh-from-the-sea flavor. The only ingredients in the Matiz tin are sustainable Atlantic cod, Spanish olive oil and salt, keeping the spotlight squarely on the fish.  

Course 5: Calamari and Peppers, with Luças Stuffed Squid in Mediterranean Sauce: Moving from the cold to the warm portion of the feast, we’re going to do a tinned twist on our calamari course. Sauté some red and green peppers — we’re sticking with the holiday color scheme — in olive oil with a generous pinch of salt, pepper, and a squeeze of tomato paste. Use bell peppers if you wish, or upgrade to Jimmy Nardellos and jalapeños for a sweet-spicy medley. After a few minutes in the pan, heap the peppers on a plate and top with the lovely Luças squids stuffed with rice in an onion-tomato sauce.    

Course 6: Pasta Vongole, with Espinaler Clams in Brine: The hardest decision you should have to make tonight is what pasta to choose as your vessel for clam consumption. Go traditional with linguine or angel hair? Swing for the fences with soba or ramen? Try something newfangled with Cascatelli or Quattrotini? You can’t go wrong if you cook to al dente and toss with a buttery, garlicky white-wine sauce and a very fine tin of Spanish white clams in brine.     

Course 7: Orecchiette, with Gulf of Maine Conservas Line-Caught Bluefin Tuna in Olive Oil: On holidays and other special occasions, Sardinians often serve malloreddus pasta tossed with fresh pesto and flakes of high-quality canned tuna. Sardinian gnocchi can be hard to find, so I substituted orecchiette, a favorite of the Apulia region, to re-create that magic at home along with line-caught bluefin tuna from Gulf of Maine Conservas, one of the best tinned tunas available in the world. 

— Words and photography by Evan S. Benn

Ordering this item adds one of each tin to your order.