Tinned fish: ‘Affordable luxury’ makes its way into wine bars and dinner parties

Canned tuna — and maybe salmon if you could find it — have long been a pantry staple. But now a wider variety of fancy tinned fish is showing up at wine bar menus and at trendy parties.

Karina Roe, said the shelves at France 44, the liquor and gourmet grocery store where she works are teeming with options for this “affordable luxury.” In addition to elevated tuna and salmon, you can find squid, razor clams and even mussels. Most of the fish comes from Spain and Portugal.

Part of the appeal is the eye-catching packaging. Serving it is as simple as providing a tin of fish and a fork, Roe said. You can pair it with some sturdy crackers or bread, like sourdough. Another option is to serve it with microgreens or a squeeze of lemon to freshen up the flavor.

The point, though, is to keep things simple, Roe said. Because of its long shelf life, tinned fish is easy to keep on hand for impromptu gatherings.

For more on the tin fish trend with Karina Roe, click play on the audio player above.

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