Tinned Fish Epiphany

Exploring the joys of “Conservas”

Last year whilst in Bologna I had a tinned fish epiphany,we sat in Enoteca al Risanamento perusing the aperitivo menu & there they were “smoked mackerel fillets” & “smoked anchovies” both served with warm bread and whipped butter,we ordered both plus a bottle of Trebbiano.

The wine was clean,cold,crisp and utterly glorious but the star of that lunchtime was the tinned fish, simply served in the now opened tin with torn up bread & creamy ,salty ,luxurious butter the two played on the palate, the light tannin, the saline, the sweet smoke.

The epiphany was complete…

I immediately set about tracking these tinned beauties down, I hadn’t seen the outer packaging and the tin itself gave no clues, but that wasn’t going to stop me.

A week after we returned home I found them ( they are on the shops shelves as I type )

But I’d become fascinated & to be honest mildly obsessed , I needed to know more and eat more.

And so that led me to Lisbon the spiritual home of all things tinned, famous for it’s many “Conservas” ..little bars / shops selling a myriad of seafood trapped in tins.

But why are you telling us this Dan? Well.. our next Wine Club will feature some tinned fish & going forward we’re looking to add some “conservas” to our late night menu, just imagine a glass of Vinho Verde some warm sourdough , homemade butter & a delicious tin of smoked anchovies..

Perfection..

Wine Club is on the 20th of February @ 7pm - £20 per person , email to get your tickets