I had grand aspirations of a Feast of the Seven Fishes for this December menu, with briny oysters, fresh marinated anchovies, and a platter of spaghetti with clams. I wanted to adorn the table with stark winter branches, adorn myself in something velvety, light all the candles in the house, and keep the bubbly flowing. But then I remembered: 1) I live in a small Brooklyn apartment with three other people, 2) it’s December, and I’m busy, and 3) fresh seafood (and parties) are expensive. My luxurious Feast of the Seven Fishes fantasy will have to wait.
Instead, I went to the Spanish market near our apartment and picked up some tinned fish, potato chips, and a baguette, then grabbed the remaining bits at a regular grocery store. We still set the table, lit candles, and ate seafood, but it was just for us in the apartment, and the seafood was tinned fish, dressed up for the occasion. Not quite the feast I had imagined, but still pretty darling.
To make this menu, you need three types of tinned fish: anchovies, smoked trout, and octopus. (Plus, for extra credit, a tiny jar of trout roe.) There isn’t much cooking involved — more mixing and assembling — and nothing needs to be served hot; in fact, room temperature is best. For wine, drink something cold, white, and preferably Spanish. I tasked Teo with the wine, and he came home with two Catalonian bottles (this one and this one), both of which were very good.
Bread with butter, anchovies, and lemon zest
Self-explanatory perfection. Buy a fresh baguette, slice it up, and top each slice with room-temperature butter, an anchovy, and a touch of lemon zest. This time, I used Fishwife’s Cantabrian anchovies, and they were lovely — velvety and rich.
Smoked trout dip with Ritz crackers, trout roe, and chives
This is party food at its finest. Drain a tin of smoked trout, flake it into a food processor, and pulse to break up the trout. Add crème fraîche, cream cheese, minced shallot, salt, black pepper, a crushed piri piri chili or pinch of chili flakes, and a squeeze of lemon juice. A few pulses to combine and lots of tastes and adjustments until it’s the right amount of bright, creamy, and smoky. Serve with buttery Ritz crackers, bitter-crisp endive leaves, pearly trout roe, and finely chopped chives. Go to town.
Polpo e patate
Octopus and potato salad is a Ligurian specialty that I first discovered in Rome, and here’s how I made my own version: Peel a couple of Yukon Gold potatoes and chop them into 1-inch pieces. Boil in salty water until tender but not falling apart. Meanwhile, sauté thinly sliced garlic and shallot in olive oil until golden and fragrant, then pour into a serving bowl. Drain a tin of octopus and add to the serving bowl. When the potatoes are done, drain and add them to the serving bowl. Gently toss to combine, taking care not to crush the potatoes too much. Season to taste with salt. Add a splash of red wine vinegar and finish by folding in some finely chopped fresh parsley.
Green salad with sherry vinaigrette and toasted walnuts
Make a simple sherry vinaigrette with Dijon mustard, honey, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toast walnuts (~8 minutes on a sheet tray at 350℉ should do the trick). Roughly chop the toasted walnuts, add them to a bowl, and season them with salt, olive oil, and sherry vinegar. Toss salad greens with sherry vinaigrette, dressed walnuts, and a pinch of salt. Optional but recommended: shaved cheese. To go full Cervo’s, Vidiago is the move for the cheese, but shaved Pecorino Romano or Parmesan would also be delicious.
Potato chips
Just because.
Thank you all for reading my tinned fish musings. Next up this month is a list of *some of* my best bites in 2024 (read last year’s version here!). There will be schnitzel, posole, pissaladière, and many more of my favorite things to eat. Writing these yearly round-ups of taste memories is a gratitude exercise, and gets me excited for the year to come.
More very soon!
x Phoebe
I need more polpo in my life, Phoebe. Thank you for these fun (and delicious) suggestions.
I, too, dream of a grand feast of seven fishes--but this sounds so good! looking forward to the best bites recap