Deep Dives: The Artwork Sold Me

With a taste of spices… pepper, clove, laurel, the simplicity of this recipe guarantees the qualities and freshness of the fish. Originating in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the squids selected to prepare this fish stew offer nutrients that bring added value to the general well-being and health of the consumer. An indispensable delicacy, if you have already savoured it, and an absolute must if you haven’t!

A certain squid wanted to be a painter. Wide-eyed, she would paint just about anything. But as soon as she finished painting, she would change colour and blend with her paintings. That’s why nobody saw her at the exhibition.

Recipes

CHILDREN IN THE KITCHEN

Squid tacos
Chop 8 iceberg lettuce leaves in julienne style, and then stuff the chopped lettuce into mexican tacos from 1 packet. Cover with 2 tins of squids which have been drained. Use the sauce of the tin and add 4 soup spoons of cream cheese and use as a spread.

ADULTOS GOURMET

Squid rise with mint and basil
Fry 1 chopped onion in olive oil and add 200g of carolino rice and stir fry approximately 3’ to 5’. Add 1/2 | of warm vegetable stock. When the rice is cooked just add 4 squid tins. Add 8 mint leaves, 1/2 a bunch of sliced basil and 50g of butter. if the rice is not juicy enough, add some more vegetable stock.

Illustration João Vaz de Carvalho

The famous flavor of white tuna is perfectly complemented by olive oil. One of the true classics of the industry, for many Ortiz is the standard against which all others are judged. And for good reason. You’re unlikely to find a better quality to dollar ratio anywhere.

Choose from the 250g round with re-close-able lid, the classic 112g oval, or, for smaller appetites, the 92g round.

Pictured in a grilled cheese with homemade Major Grey’s mango chutney.

Just like their Sardines with Tomato Sauce, but with the addition of hot pepper. Giving Nuri Sardines in Spiced Tomato Sauce  a run for the money. You may also know these as Pollastrini al Pomodoro Piccante.

100g (3.5 oz) tin

Pictured on saffron rice with cilantro.

The same octopus that they grill on their grates in Vega de Ribadesella Beach, put in a can brimming with freshness.

Don’t throw away the delicious juice that covers the octopus. With an immersion blender (or a whisk), add a splash of vinegar, then gradually add a thread of olive oil, a pinch of paprika and salt to taste and you’ll have made the perfect mayonnaise as accompaniment.

A fun fact about the artwork, “Abrasado” means grilled using only the embers of previously lit charcoal. “Abrazado,” however, means to be hugged or embraced. The artwork is based on a play on words referring to these two words.

160g tin

Big Portuguese pilchards in olive oil. For the purist. Not sure if you’re a purist? Only one way to find out.

125g (4.4oz) tin

The earthy funk of truffle pairs perfectly with the scent of the sea.

120g (4.2 oz) tin

Spiced, here, means chili pepper (not blazing hot, just enough to let you know it’s a hot pepper, as well as some pickled vegetables and a bit of clove. If you’re looking for a great pair of tins to compare, try these side by side with the Nuri Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil to triangulate your flavor preferences.

125g tin (4.4 oz)

Vintage sardines from the 2022 season. The science is in agreement that sardines aged a year or more are better than just-canned sardines. The “use by” dates on these are 10 years from manufacture. The jury is still out on whether they continue to improve for that long. More research required.

The Vintage sardines from Les Mouettes d’Arvor Ranked #72 on the worldbestfish.com Overall list.

115g tin

We call our mackerel “white, white” because in our production we use essentially mackerel from the Scomber japonicus species, the species that abounds in the Portuguese continental shore.

Ranked #75 on the worldbestfish.com Overall list, and #4 on the Mackerel list.

120g (85g drained) tin

These are intended to be lightly fried in the butter they’re packed  in and then served atop steamed potatoes and/or vegetables. Garlic and parsley minced together is what the French call persillade, and it is one of the all-time great seafood accompaniments.

Butter is a solid at room temperature, and the easiest way to make the butter liquid enough to remove the contents of the tin is to drop them into a pan of simmering water as you remove the pan from the heat. Let sit until just cool enough to handle easily.  Some people remove with tongs then run the tin under cool water so that it can be handled sooner. Be careful when breaking the seal as the contents are now under some slight pressure. We place our tins on a folded up paper towel for traction and to deal with any splurt. Pour contents into a saute pan and fry on medium heat until the edges just begin to get golden.

115g (4 oz) tin