To not be the man who found a band method earlier than you probably did (“Oh you love tinned fish? Title three of their songs!”), however to all of the canned tuna and smoked trout heads on the market, I need to insist you broaden your shelf-stable seafood horizons. Whereas it isn’t against the law to stay to the classics, there’s a large world of fishy delight obtainable to you within the preserved meals aisle, if you happen to dare to look past your trieds-and-trues. Possibly you’re prepared to leap off the deep finish and add mussels, cockles, or snails to your cart. Or possibly you want a gateway can to assist unlock your extra adventurous facet. In both case, choose up a tin of octopus.
I think about olive oil-packed octopus a deal with. It’s the can I peel open once I need one thing that feels slightly extra particular than my common seafood-studded fare. Octopus is barely dearer than different tinned fish merchandise, however it shines in a method flake-able fish can not, significantly in dishes that show its meaty texture and delicate taste.
As with different tinned fish, octopus is absolutely cooked proper out of the can, however I prefer to pat my items dry and sear them in a sizzling pan to construct slightly char on the tentacles and add some smoky taste. Because of this my most popular model of tinned octopus is Matiz, which incorporates bigger items that readily showcase a superb crispy bit.
And I’m not embarrassed to say that the aesthetics of a burnished, swirly cephalopod tendril are as a lot a driving issue for me because the style. In a bowl, they appear like a sunny afternoon on the Iberian coast, even on a dreary day in Brooklyn. In actual fact, simply this morning, Instagram fed me a “three years in the past at the moment” publish of a salad I made for lunch in 2021 with seared octopus bits peeking out from behind radicchio leaves and crispy chickpeas. Clearly it’s an early spring go-to of mine to interrupt out the flowery can and try slightly cold-weather escapism.
One in all my favourite methods to make use of tinned octopus is in a pantry pasta, combining it with a couple of different components that I at all times have round in case of emergency: capers, wine, butter, garlic. I crisp up the items, set them apart, after which construct a silky sauce from these aforementioned staples in the identical pan. As soon as thickened and shiny, I toss in lengthy noodles, the burnished octopus, a ton of parsley, and a squeeze of lemon for freshness. The result’s paying homage to linguine and clams—however with out all the trouble or shells to dig by—a weeknight-friendly dinner filled with brightness and simply sufficient seafood salinity. It received’t teleport you to Lisbon, however it should actually increase your cred within the conservas neighborhood, which, chew for chew, may be simply as cool.
