Tinned Fish Friendsgiving

Nibbles and Bites Issue #25: Garlic Herb Anchovy butter & more

If you like smoked mussels, garlic aioli served out of a gelato dish, and the charred flavor of grilled bread, then you’re in the right place. 

---

Last weekend, while everyone was hosting or attending a Friendsgiving dinner with cranberry sauce, some version of stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, and all the rest of it, my friends and I decided to throw an impromptu tinned fish party.

Can I just say that saying yes to hosting this dinner was the best decision that I made all week? It required minimal effort, and I made most of the pickled vegetables and sauces in advance, allowing me to simply pull everything out of the fridge thirty minutes before the guests arrived. I quite literally used a single pot and the same salty water to soft boil the eggs, blanch the green beans and boil the potatoes.

For the tinned fish procurement, we purchased the “Tin Lovers” set from one of our favorite brands, Minnow. It truly is the perfect assortment of tinned fish and includes both approachable fish like sardines, trout and salmon, as well as some more adventurous ones like snails, cod liver and garfish for those who want to enjoy something new!

When thinking about how I wanted to craft this snack-like meal, I thought about the basic elements of a dish that make people want more. Aside from the fish, I broke all of the elements for toppings and dips into categories (salty, acidic, fresh, fatty), which is how I designed my spread (it’s not really a recipe!) and list of ingredients below. I served most of the tinned fish straight out of the tin, jazzed up the cod liver and salmon by turning them into dips, and cooked the snails in garlic anchovy butter. 

Since this meal is relatively hands-off when it comes to preparation, I knew that I wanted the presentation to be exceptional, especially considering that we were eating so much of the food straight out of a can. I landed on creating tiers for my tablescape by propping one of my favorite butter yellow dinner plates on top of a cake platter and positioning the other serving dishes below. By doing this, you create a cascading effect and visible interest.

I dropped one or two (and sometimes even three) small bowls or ramekins on each plate to hold sauces, olives, and lemon wedges and anything that would spill about. I also put together a small board at the bottom of the spread with a wedge of goat’s milk cheese, charcuterie, and figs for those attending who weren’t tinned fish fans.

My breakdown of how to create the best tinned fish board for grazing:

Salty

• Capers

• Castelvetrano Olives

• Flaky Salt

Acidic

• Lemon wedges

• Pickled Red Onions

• Mustard

• Hot Sauce

Fresh

• Fresh herbs (dill, parsley, chives)

• Quartered or thinly sliced radishes

• Celery and carrot sticks

• Quartered endive and radicchio 

• Blanched Green beans 

Fatty

• Garlic Aioli

• Green Goddess Dressing

• Herby Anchovy Butter (recipe below)

• Dill Farmer’s Cheese (from Chaseholm Farm)

• Soft boiled eggs

Things for dipping

• Crackers

• Crostini 

• Boiled fingerling potatoes

• Kettle Cooked Potato Chips

---

And below is my recipe for Herby Garlic Anchovy Butter that can be used to spread on a fresh baguette and can be topped with smoked trout or sardines, but is also versatile enough to use when sautéing vegetables, frying eggs and makes a great addition to any pasta dish.

Herby Garlic Anchovy Butter:

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ tsp smoked paprika or smoked chili flakes

2 garlic cloves, peeled 

4 anchovy filets

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped

1 tbsp chives

2 tsp tarragon, roughly chopped

2 tsp salt

Instructions: 

1. Place all of the ingredients except for the butter in the base of a food processor and pulse until everything is evenly chopped, but not completely smooth.

2. Add the butter into the base of the food processor, breaking it up into small pieces before adding it. Pulse the mixture until thoroughly combined. Remove the lid of the food processor, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to pulse the mixture until thoroughly combined.

3. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your work surface. Remove the anchovy butter from the food processor, scrapping the bowl with a spatula. Place the butter in the center of the plastic wrap. Wrap it into a cylinder shape, being careful to twist the ends tightly to remove any additional air.

4. Put in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to chill slightly and serve immediately or keep wrapped in the fridge for up to two weeks. 

I hope you get the chance to enjoy a tinned fish night with your friends and family soon, and hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

- Kristen