Tinned Fish Tips You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

It may have started during the pandemic when stay-at-home cooking saw everyone turn to resourceful recipes. But make no mistake, tinned fish has become a huge culinary trend that continues to generate new ideas, creating fintastic dishes along the way. Adding to this hype is the growing interest in sustainability, nutrition, and fish-focused diets — not to mention the endless supply of inspiration on social media that is constantly baiting new interest among followers (pun intended). Bottom line — canned fish is cool.

Caroline Goldfarb, founder of the stunningly designed, upmarket tinned fish brand, Fishwife, called these fishy tins "hot girl food" because of their protein-packed nutritional values (via Nylon). And not only are there are so many canned fish options to choose from, each with their own distinct flavors, but the ways you can use this powerhouse ingredient to elevate your meals is virtually endless. So if you've had a tin of mackerel fillets languishing at the back of your cupboard for a while, or never quite know what to do with tinned sardines, then it's time to get creative and try something different. From cooking a fishy crumble in a can to making the ultimate edible campfire, here's some tinned fish tips you'll wish you'd known sooner. 

You've heard of a charcuterie board, of course. Chances are you've even enjoyed one a time or two. In your mind, you're might be imagining high-end cold cuts, olives, and fancy cheeses. What you're probably not thinking of is tinned fish. But believe it or not, tinned fish is making its way onto grazing boards. 

Move over charcuterie, and make way for a tinned fish board. The Briny Babe, sourcing products from Island Creek Oysters, suggests pairing the salty flavor of tinned fish with tangy bites such as cornichons, pickled onions, pickled artichokes, and capers. Olives also make a great accompaniment to any board, while a few freshly shucked oysters can enhance your efforts as well. Crunchy crostini is the perfect vessel for it all, so you can mix and match ingredients such as smoked mussels, avocado, and cilantro in one glorious bite. Food writer Yasmin Fahr, author of "Boards & Spreads," also suggests going beyond tradition, pairing tinned fish with pickled shallots and crackers. Outside of the ingredients, Fahr also encourages culinary artists to think about the architectural design of their presentation too, with stacked produce and a variety of layers, shapes, and dimensions used to build a beautiful sharing board (via Yahoo!). 

If you love anchovies, it's probably because you adore the saltiness of these little fish. They pair amazingly well with lamb, make for a perfect pizza topping, while they can also give pasta dishes an extra flavor boost, too (via Love Food). They're also responsible for the signature umami flavor of Caesar salad dressing. However, you might find tinned anchovies to be a little too salty for your taste, either on their own or when added to a recipe. They're saltier than fresh anchovies which are often pickled or marinated. Therefore, it's useful to know that you can take some of the salt out of tinned anchovies, so you can use them in many different ways (via LEAFtv).

The salty taste of tinned anchovies comes from the brine that they're preserved in. To take the saltiness down a notch or two, all you need to do is soak the anchovies. Remove the fish from the tin full of liquid, lay out on a dish and press on them a little to flatten. Pour milk or water over the fish and leave for 10 minutes. Drain the anchovies and gently pat dry, and then repeat the process, leaving them for 20 minutes this time. Rinse the fish under your tap and once again pat dry, and then your fillets should be recipe to use or enjoy. 

There's something remarkably old-fashioned about a tin of pilchards. If you have one lurking in the back of your cupboard, chances are it may have been there for a while. After all, for the modern cook there aren't too many recipes that you come across that list tinned pilchards as an ingredient. But before you ignore the can for another year or resign yourself to serving it as it is out of the tin, you might want to fish the depths of Pinterest for a an idea, such as this recipe for a cheesy pilchard pancake bake. 

Make a batter by mixing flour, milk, and eggs. Fry in batches to make a stack of pancakes. Next, open a can of pilchards in tomato sauce, take out the fish and remove the bones if you want. In a pan, saute a chopped onion, crushed garlic, and diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the tomato sauce from the can of pilchards along with some fresh basil. Finish by adding the fish to the pan. Scoop the filling into the pancakes and roll them up, putting them in an ovenproof dish over a layer of tomato paste. Top with homemade cheese sauce (butter, flour, milk, and shredded cheddar) plus more shredded cheese and bake until golden and bubbling on top. Serve with fresh basil leaves on top and a side salad. 

If you're not sure what solomon-a-gundy is, it's a spicy, pickled fish spread made from smoked red herring, with a Jamaican culinary heritage (via Jamaicans.com). It's generally served as an appetizer and best enjoyed with some crackers. It's not completely clear where the name came from, but it's thought that it is derived from the British word salmagundi, which refers to a mixed salad. Great to serve at a party or on a buffet table, solomon-a-gundy is pretty simple to make, as demonstrated on TikTok. You can use tinned salmon or sardines for this recipe, or if you follow a plant-based diet you can also use vegan tuna.

What's blissful about this recipe is that it packs a punch, yet there's no cooking needed at all. Add your fish to a bowl and mix in chopped bell pepper with green and red onion, garlic, and salt. Spice it up with Jamaican allspice and pimento, customizing this fishy paste to make it as hot or mild as you like. Balance the acidity and consistency with a splash of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. You can make this flavorful dish spicier by serving with a drizzle of Scotch bonnet hot sauce on top after spreading on crackers. Throw a few chopped green onions on top too, and dig in. 

Fishcakes are sublimely home-style comfort food. They're also delicious, light, and good for you, especially if you pair them with a crisp salad. They can range from frozen budget varieties bought in bulk, to carefully crafted upmarket fish cakes served at posh restaurants. You can also make your own soft on the inside, crisp on the outside fishcakes. And according to one easy recipe shared on TikTok, all you need is some tinned mackerel and a selection of Indian-inspired ingredients to create some serious flavor.

Start by mixing a tin of mackerel fillets with some mashed potato. Add a teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, chili flakes, and coriander. You can also add a hefty teaspoon of lime pickle as well. Once your mash is a lovely yellow color and everything is combined, simply shape the mix into balls, flatten into patties, and fry, flipping to cook both sides. If your mash is a little soft, then add a beaten egg and a little flour to make consistency of the fishcakes a little firmer. Once the fish cakes are cooked through, crisped up, and brown on the outside, serve with a salad and some type of creamy dip that complements the spiciness of the dish.

A classic twist on a Thanksgiving dressing recipe, originating from the South, involves using oysters for a fun flavor spin. With so much to do over the holidays, using tinned oysters certainly makes the holiday feast easier to cook, saving you the energy of shucking fresh oysters, or the cash for buying them fresh. 

Southern Living suggests making a flavorful dressing using chopped smoked oysters from the can along with a mix of sourdough bread and cornbread, plus bold and spicy andouille sausage and Creole seasoning. Fry the sausage, mix everything together along with some chicken stock and eggs. Bake for 45 minutes, and the result should be a texture that's crunchy on top  and soft in the middle. 

There are plenty of oyster stuffing recipes to explore as this is one of those holiday sides that's part of tradition, with family recipes no doubt passed down over the years. Oyster dressing has been around for hundreds of years, and it seems that it may have come about because of the abundance of oysters on the New England coast.