A good time to smash something
Hello. Thank you for being here and welcome to the new subscribers! Hope you’re all staying safe and well and sane out there. This week’s recipe is short to counteract the other stuff in life that feels a bit too long. :)
A small follow-up to last week’s recipe for tahini brownies: I left out the most obvious substitution option, which is to use any other nut butter in place of the tahini. Even though tahini is by nature much thinner than other nut butters, I think you could use a one-to-one substitute of peanut, hazelnut, cashew nut, or macadamia nut, to name a few. If you find the agave and nut butter mix is too stiff, add maybe a teaspoon or two of water to thin it out and make it easier to marble the batter.
Smoky smashed tinned fish (or legumes)
(adapted from this NYT recipe for Smoked Sardines Rillettes)
Hope you have some tinned fish lurking in your cupboard, because if you do this recipe requires very little effort for something that feels fancy, tastes delicious, and looks exactly how you think it will. (Calling it “tinned” rather than “canned” is what makes it fancy.)
If you don’t have fish, or if you don’t eat fish, then the substitute is easy: just use a cup or so of any cooked/canned bean or lentil that you want.
I changed quite a bit from the original recipe — used fewer ingredients, made it two servings (or four servings if you’re making this as a snack, I suppose) and ate it right away instead of chilling it in the refrigerator. The ingredients I used are in bold, with possible substitutions in italics.
1 can sardines in oil or 1 can tuna, sprats, salmon, herring, trout, or mackerel in oil or water, or really anything except maybe anchovies* (aim for a 4- to 6-ounce can); for a non-fish option: 1 cup any cooked bean or lentil
2 to 4 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream, crème fraîche, mayo, or 2 tablespoons tahini mixed with 1 tablespoon water (tahini whipped with a little water is a good sub for thick dairy products because it’s creamy and mild-tasting; it does add a little nutty flavor, tho)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice or basically any form of acid you have: vinegar, pickle or sauerkraut juice, sumac, amchur, Tajín, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder, a little spoonful of sauce from chipotles en adobo, or a touch of anything smoky you might have — smoked cheese? liquid smoke? smoked olive oil? — or maybe your fish was smoked to begin with!
Olive, sunflower, vegetable, canola, etc. oil, if you need it
Optional add-ins: fresh or dried herbs, such as mint, tarragon, chives, cilantro, dill, basil, etc.; tomato or pepper paste; capers or chopped pickles
Salt and pepper as needed
Bread, toast, crackers, celery, carrot sticks, or whatever you want to serve it with
A seedy spice blend or extra pinch of paprika, to garnish
If you’ve got fish in oil, pour the entire contents of the can into a small mixing bowl. If it’s in water, drain it, then add it to the bowl. (If your fish has bones and they are meant to be taken out first, do that! The canned fish I buy is either boneless or the bones are edible.)
Add the small measurements of yogurt, lemon juice, and smoked paprika (or their substitutes), then smoosh everything together with a fork until combined. I was going for a fairly smooth mix, as you can see in the photo; if you want it chunkier, then by all means, make it chunky.
Taste and decide if you want more of anything; depending on your fish or legume, you may need more yogurt or oil to make the mixture spreadable or lend a little extra fattiness, for example. If it’s bland, add more acid! Add any optional ingredients (just a few big pinches or a spoonful should suffice), then taste again and decide if it needs salt and pepper.
Spread on bread or toast or crackers or whatever your chosen vehicle may be to deliver spreads and dips to your mouth. Sprinkle with a hefty pinch of paprika or another spice blend you might have. (We went with rye bread and Russian dukkah. No regrets.)
If you have leftovers, it’ll keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator. The original recipe suggests you let it soften at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
*If you want to do something spread-like with anchovies, I think you’d need to also add some nuts and/or toasted bread to balance out those strong little fish. For example, see this recipe for a Provençal-style dip from America’s Test Kitchen.
No new articles to brag about this week, but I ~am~ going to do some social content for local fermented goods maker Number 1 Sons. If you live within 15 miles of zip code 20002, they’ve started delivery of their stuff and also a variety of local veggies, eggs, grains, beans, etc. to help folks get produce during these crazy weeks. (If you’re not local, they also ship their own products beyond the DC area.) Anyway, if you like fermented things and also want more easy food prep ideas from yours truly, that’s where you’ll find me.
(This seems like a good time to also note that anything I link to or endorse in my newsletter is not an affiliate link or sponsored; it’s just me genuinely liking a thing.)
Stay well and go run around the block if you can!
Kara