Tinned fish is commonly overlooked and not given enough credit—it’s delicious, sustainable and just as good as fresh!
Bart Van Olphen, author of this wonderful book – ‘Cooking With Tinned Fish’ has travelled to fishing communities all over the world and has realised that:
“if there’s one thing I’ve learned during my travels, it’s the fact we can make a big impact on sustainability by making ethical choices over tinned fish”
How good is that to know!
So, when there’s nothing left but a tin of responsibly sourced canned tuna in the pantry, know that a lot of wild fish ends up in a tin and by opting to cook with this little can of tuna you in turn influence fishing methods and fish populations. However, don’t always choose tuna, swap it up with one of the other smaller fantastic little species that you’ve never cooked with before like sardines, mackerel and anchovies, which are all delicious and rich in the omega 3 fatty acids,
Bart demonstrates in his book the versatility and simplicity of cooking with tinned fish. It’s packed full with irresistible and unusual recipes, from sauces and soups to sandwiches and wholesome meals. The only recipe missing in my opinion is the good old 70’s tuna mornay! It’s as simple to make as tipping a can of drained tuna into a white sauce (50g melted butter whisked with 1/4 cup flour and then 2 cups milk and heated to thicken) adding some frozen corn kermnels.
Fish4ever is a great canned fish option as they strive towards sustainability with over 70% of their products certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. Like Fish & co, they take issues of ethical and environmentally sustainable sourcing incredibly seriously.
Their canned tuna and their other canned seafood products, including salmon, herring and sardine are imported into Australia by First Ray and are available at many independent grocers or organic, health food, fairtrade stores, select IGA supermarkets nationwide, Harris Farms and Thomas Dux stores, or online.
So, get your responsibly sourced tinned fish and a copy of Bart’s book and create a delicious, budget home cooked meal for yourself and the entire family.
