It will be a sorry day when Iturn to my larder and discover that there is not asingle tin of fish to be found therein. But I guess ifwe continue to empty theseas at the rate we are doing, it may happen. The thing is, the kind of small, oily fish that fit so obligingly in tins and jars are the very species that, if managed properly and fished responsibly, could continue to feed us sustainably well into the future. If however, we continue to vacuum them up by the millions of tonnes, and process more than half of them into animal feed and fertilisers, then they won't be around for long.
By far the most popular canned fish flesh in this country is tuna, of course, though for me it is a fish whose flavour and texture can oftenbe disappointing and whose provenance is riddled with alarmingenvironmental worries. Alltuna stocks are under pressure and some are desperately over-exploited. And it's pretty well known now that some of the methods used to catch them can have a devastating effect on the wildlife that shares its environment, including dolphins, sharks and turtles that get trapped in the mammoth nets of the purse seiners, and albatross and other seabirds that get caught on the millions of baited hooks on thousands of milesof long lines that now drift through our tropical oceans. If you do want to eat tuna, skipjack, albacore and yellowfin are the least threatened varieties, with troll-caught or pole-and-line-caught being by far the most sustainable options.
I'd love to inspire you, however, tokick any tuna habit you may have and replace it with one of the fantastic little species I've used inthis week's recipes. Sardines, mackerel and anchovies are my tinned fish of choice – delicious, rich in the omega 3 fatty acids we all need and, if watchfully sourced, sustainable to boot, for the time being, at least. Each can form the basis of countless quick, lip-smacking meals and I'd be lost without them. They all have strong flavours, which I happen to love, buteven if you find them a little overpowering when eaten neat, there are many ways to soften their edges, as it were.
One of my favourite ways to eat tinned sardines is to "bloody mary" them – that is, crushing them up with a dash of tomato ketchup, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, lemon juice and, if it's past midday, even a splash of vodka. Spread on hot brown toast, this is a great way to put a spring in your step. Pizza is another superb canned-fish vehicle: anchovies are traditional, of course, but any canned fish can work wonders. Just top a thin disc of dough with a layer of sweated onions (tomato not necessary), crumble or chop your fish into chunks and scatter over, add a few dollops of creme fraiche, some salt, pepper and olive oil, and whack into a ferociously hot oven for a few minutes: divine. Even easier is mashing up sardines or mackerel with lemon juice and olive oil or soured cream to form a delicious, coarse sauce that works a treat folded into hot pasta, or even a warm potato salad.
My tinned trio are all oily fish, and I think they represent one of the easiest and most accessible ways to get yourself a good dose of healthy fish oils. Although I find it hard fully to absorb the fact, I believe there are people for whom a whole, grilled fresh sardine, all smoky, salty and garlicky, or a fried fresh mackerel fillet, scented with bay and lemon, issomething of a challenge. To them I would say, make yourself a creamy tinned mackerel pâté, spiked with a little mustard and onion, or break some tinned sardine into that garlicky tomato sauce for your pasta and take your first step on the way to embracing oily fish for the delicious, health-giving stuff that it is. The prep's been done for you, the fish are even seasoned: you just have to chuck them into a dish and you're away.
Sardines and mackerel can be a very sustainable choice. Cornish sardines – or pilchards, which are just big sardines by another name – caught with traditional small nets byday boats, are my top choice (ThePilchard Works brand is my favourite). There are several mackerel fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as sustainable and environmentally responsible, again including the south-west. (Although infuriatingly, the inability of the Icelandic and Faroese mackerel fisheries to agree terms with the EU and Norway, with whom they share the north-east Atlantic mackerel, means the largest mackerel fishery in Europe is about to lose its MSC status.)
Anchovies are a touch more tricky, being a perfect example of a fish that can be a good choice as long as you go for ones caught in the right place and the right way. The MSC has put its blue "eco-label" on fish from the Argentinian anchovy fishery, and you can find these tinned anchovies in some major retailers. Likewise, the Marine Conservation Society's excellent goodfishguide.co.uk rates anchovy stocks from the Bay of Biscay as being at a healthy level and therefore a good choice. Anchovy stocks there were decimated, but have made a rousing recovery thanks to a five-year fishing moratorium that allowed thisquick-growing little fish to get down to some unhampered reproducing. I also like Fish 4 Ever's anchovies, which are caught in the Mediterranean by small boats. In fact, I'm going to crack open a jar right now.
Tinned mackerel pate with quick-pickled onions
Very good with mackerel, but any canned fish fillets, such as pilchards or sardines, will do. You could use whole canned fish, too, but you'll need to remove the backbones and any bits of fin before you blitz them. The lightly pickled onion topping takes the pâté to another level. Serves four as asnack or starter.
2 120-125g cans mackerel fillets in oil, or similar canned oily fish fillets
1 tsp English mustard
1 tbsp creme fraiche
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper Wholemeal toast or oatcakes, toserve
For the quick-pickled onion
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large pinch caster sugar
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped dill or parsley
Prepare the onion first: put it in abowl, sprinkle over a good pinch each of salt and sugar and a grindingof pepper and toss. Leave for 10 minutes to soften (if the onionreleases a lot of liquid, drain itoff). Sprinkle over the vinegar anddill or parsley, stir, and leave for 10 minutes more. Taste, add more sugar, salt or pepper as needed, and set aside until you are ready to serve – it will also keep in the fridge for upto 24 hours, but make sure you let it return to room temperature before serving.
Drain the oil from the cans of mackerel, and tip the fish into the bowl of a food processor. Add the mustard, creme fraiche, cayenne, some black pepper and a good squeeze of lemon. Blitz to a thick paste, stopping several times along the way to scrape down thesides of the processor. Taste andadd salt, if necessary (the canned fish is already quite salty), and more pepper or lemon juice, ifyou like.
Serve the pâté spread thickly on toast or oatcakes, with a scattering of the piquant onion on top.
Sardine omelette
I must give full credit for this dish tomy daughter, Chloe, the first person to make it for me. As quick, nutritious meals go, it's hard to beat. Serves two.
1 tin sardines (or pilchards) in oil
5 eggs
1 small knob butter
2 shallots (or 1 small red onion), peeled and finely sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper
Drain the sardines of their oil and break them into large flakes, removing the bones only if you feel you need to. Break the eggs into abowl, season and beat lightly.
Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Mix the sardine flakes, shallots and more seasoning into the eggs, then pour the lot into the buttered pan. Cook, with just a little bit of stirring, until barely set, then flip over like apancake to finish cooking for justhalf a minute.
Serve at once with a green salad, or a few tomatoes, or some bread and butter, or all three.
Spaghetti with anchovies, chilli and garlic
A perfect quick, store-cupboard supper for those nights when you can barely be bothered to cook. It's also a great entry-level dish for the anchovy-shy – stick to just half a dozen little fillets to start with and work your way up. Serves two.
200g spaghetti (or linguine or tagliatelle)
3 tbsp top-notch extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve 6-8 anchovy fillets in oil (or up to 10 or even 12 if you really love them)
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (or a pinch of chilli flakes) 2 cloves garlic, slivered
Sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper
Bring a pan of water to a boil, salt it generously, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, heat the oil very gently in a small pan over a low heat (if you really like that anchovy taste, use some of the oil from the anchovy tin). When the oil is hot, add the anchovies and chilli, and cook for two minutes, crushing the anchovies gently so they "melt" into the oil. Add the garlic, cook for 30-60 seconds – don't let it colour – and remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta and toss with the fishy, garlicky oil. Season, if need be (the anchovies are already quite salty), and transfer to warmed dishes. Give the pasta a fresh swirl of extra-virgin oil and a good grinding of pepper, and serve straight away.
