Something’s Fishy!
I can’t say exactly why, but when I was growing up, canned sardines were frowned upon. Perhaps one of my parents had distasteful childhood memories of eating them so we never had them in our house. Or perhaps they were seen as a desperation food – both of my parents were born during the height of the Great Depression so their parents’ attitudes were shaped by that era – and eating them triggered some sense of trauma. For whatever reason, I never ate them as a kid.
These days, you can get wonderful canned fish products, and in last week’s Berkshire Eagle column, I devised a recipe for pasta with sardines, cabbage, and leeks.
TINS BEYOND TUNA
by Elizabeth Baer
Tinned fish is having a moment. I mean, beyond the more ordinary cans of tuna that most of us use to make sandwiches. Don’t get me wrong, the good old reliable tuna salad is a classic, and it has its time and place in one’s culinary repertoire. However there’s much more out there to explore, and the variety and quality of tinned fish available to us has risen dramatically of late.
Tins of fish, ready to eat, is really nothing new. Many years ago, when I was in college, I took a cycling trip through Scotland with my boyfriend at the time, and he had learned about tins of mackerel in white wine sauce on a previous trip to Europe. There were many days, after miles of riding and ravenously hungry, we found ourselves on a single-track road between fields of sheep. But we always had tins of mackerel and some bread for rather fancy sandwiches by the side of the road.
Portuguese sardines have always been held in high regard, and a recent trip to Portugal inspired Peter MacGillivray, the owner of Provisions in Williamstown, to expand their tinned fish selection, which is quite extraordinary! Likewise, when my sister and her family were there last summer, they brought me back some tins of sardines.
More recently, our daughter, Rachel, was visiting with her wife, Maddie, who is a pescatarian, so I decided to open a couple tins of sardines for our dinner. (I’m not sure who will remember opening these types of cans with a key, but the pull tabs are much easier!) I opted for a pasta dish, and had the idea to cut cabbage and leeks into strips to match the linguini strands I was using. Typically, Italians don’t put cheese on a pasta dish that includes fish, so I made toasted breadcrumbs, but if you prefer a touch of Parmesan, I promise I won’t tell!
PASTA WITH SARDINES, CABBAGE, AND LEEKS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
½ cup plain breadcrumbs
1 small head cabbage, preferable Savoy, if possible
2 leeks
1½ teaspoons salt, plus more for the pasta water
1 pound strand pasta, such as linguini or spaghetti
2 tins sardines packed in olive oil, preferably imported (approximately 8 ounces total)
Zest and juice from ½ lemon
DIRECTIONS:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast for 2-3 minutes until just beginning to brown. Remove from the heat (breadcrumbs will continue to toast until the pan cools) and set aside
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
Cut the cabbage in half through the stem end. Remove any wilted outer leaves. Place one half cut side down and cut thin slices from one side to the other. Repeat with the other half. Discard any pieces that are not strands and detach pieces from the core. Discard the core. Pile the cabbage strips on the half sheet pan.
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise through the root end. Remove the tough, dark green portions and discard. Check and rinse any dirt from between the layers. Cut thin strips lengthwise, leaving the roots intact. Once you have finished, cut the strands from roots and discard the roots. Pile the leek strips on the sheet pan with the cabbage.
Toss to intersperse the cabbage and leeks. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30-35 minutes, checking occasionally, until vegetables are softened and becoming brown in spots. Place the cooked vegetables in a large bowl.
Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to package directions.
Open the sardine tins and empty the sardines and oil into the bowl with the vegetables. Add the lemon zest and juice. Break up the sardines with a fork.
When pasta is done, bring the bowl next to the pot. Use tongs to remove the strands of pasta directly into the bowl. Add ¼ cup pasta water. If it seems dry, drizzle a bit more olive oil on top. Serve in large bowls and divide the toasted breadcrumbs among the portions.