Tinned oily fish

[Pleasenomoreglitter]

Hi, I’m looking for ideas from people who eat tinned oily fish such as mackerel and sardines on what to do with them. I’ve bought some mackerel in spicy tomato sauce but realised I’m not actually sure how to serve it! I’ve seen people talk about having these / sardines on toast, but do you eat them cold from the tin spread on the toast or are you supposed to heat them up? Tuna I’d usually eat cold mixed with mayonnaise and sometimes use it in pasta sauce. So I feel a bit daft not knowing how to eat other tinned fish but it was never eaten in my house growing up so I have no reference point!

Wow, lots of ideas there, thank you. With the tin I had in I just had it cold on toast for lunch. Don’t think I’ll buy that one again as wasn’t keen on the spices in it. Will try some of these ideas next.

I love spicy sardines spaghetti fry onion garlic chillies and fennel add tinned fish tomatoes salt and pepper and marjoram yummy.

Also a variation on turkish fish sandwiches with tinned mackerel coriander, pickled red onions and lime. Gorgeous

I love spicy sardines spaghetti fry onion garlic chillies and fennel add tinned fish tomatoes salt and pepper and marjoram yummy.

Also a variation on turkish fish sandwiches with tinned mackerel coriander, pickled red onions and lime. Gorgeous

My sons make mackerel fajitas or quesadillas, both delicious ☺️ Would work with any oily fish too!

I heat up sardines in tomato sauce in a pan, add to toast with butter.

I also like pilchards in tomato sauce, cold with a salad.

A very quick firm favourite here when short of time - mackerel noodles.
Quick stir fry any veg (broccoli, carrots are our usual), chuck in some noodles (packet ones that are ready to heat).
Then chuck in the mackerel (drain oil and break up).
One heated through add lashings of soy sauce!
15min meal. Done.

I largely put tinned sardines in pasta. The ones in tomato sauce I'll do a chunky pasta sauce with peppers, courgettes and/or whatever other veg I have, and some spices like cumin and paprika.
The ones in olive oil I tend to just use the oil, maybe some lemon, black pepper, parsley and a few olives.

Puttanesca - it's a common dinner in my house

Not strictly tinned but these are amazing. I just eat them as they are

You might like this at Waitrose: www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/seafood--eat-it-anchovy-fillets-with-lemon-peel/314548-847385-847386

I saw on Instagram there’s a trend for putting kitchen paper over an opened tin of oily fish then setting it alight. Blow out and remove when cooked!

Make a rich tomato based curry sauce, cool some spinach into it, then roughly chop a tin of mackerel into it, add lemon juice and coriander before serving with rice or Indian breads.

Love it cos it’s so cheap and also nutritious.
usually goes on toast or in pasta

Love tinned sardines. My nan used to give them to us mashed on toast when I was a child. (I’m 50 now) not heated but the toast was obviously warm. Mackerel I tend to buy as smoked fillets from the supermarket and eat with salad.

Growing up, tinned sardines in tomato sauce, mashed up on hot toast, grated cheese on top, under the grill. A fishy cheese on toast

Tinned fish was used a lot in the 70s, that was a tea with a Beejam frozen mousse for afters.

Yes Ive just remembered the curried mackerel tins. Lovely

Half a bag of salad leaves in a large bowl, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, gherkins, pickled garlic, olives, fish - straight from the tin or after 2 mins in the air fryer - dumped on top, add lemon juice, pepper, plus lightly toasted bread (not toast, toast requires cold butter) with decent olive oil. Takes about 3 minutes from tin to table.

I grew up with tinned fish. Still have sardines or similar on toast at times. My method is similar to making cheese on toast. I toast the bread under the grill on one side only. Then I turn over and put the tinned fish on the untoasted side, with some of the oil. Back under the grill. When the exposed bits of bread are toasted the fish will be heated through. Eat with a good squeeze of lemon and grind on some black pepper. I like fish in tomato sauce, but tinned in olive oil is good too.

I absolutely loved tinned salmon in a very simple sandwich - buttered bread, sliced cucumber, mashed salmon (bones included - they are very soft and an excellent source of calcium), plenty of pepper, a little salt. Tinned salmon is a different thing altogether from fresh salmon (as of course smoked salmon is).

Not very interesting fact but salmon is still an oily fish after its in the tin, the canning process doesnt affect this factor

Tuna, which is an oily fish, is affected by the canning process and so is not an oily fish once its in the tin.

Came on to say I regularly make mackerel or pilchard curry. It's incredibly cheap, quick, is made from store cupboard ingredients and really healthy. Strangely OH loves it and requests it and he's not really a curry fan.

If you aren't used to eating oily fish OP, it can taste quite 'fishy' at first and I'd advise having it in a pasta or other dish, rather than just on toast to start with.

Can I ask why only tinned, oily fish? Is it cost, Omega-3 content or some other reason? There are lots of non tinned options like smoked salmon, fresh salmon, fresh tuna/swordfish etc also. Trout can be a cheaper option to salmon as is mackerel.

Some of my favourites are:
-I used a tin or 2 of sardines in tomato juice, unless I have fresh sardines. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/buccatini_with_sardines_06956
-https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/littleitalypastabake_14520
-https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spaghetti-puttanesca
-https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/best-salmon-fish-cakes
-www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mackerel-pate

I make a big batch of couscous salad with roasted vegetables and have that with sardines in tomato sauce for lunch. I prefer the John west boneless ones, you can get supermarket own brand ones super cheap but the bones turn my stomach.

I do like sardines.

Am I the only person who removes the bones? Prefer pilchards in tomato sauce and I always remove the bones.

I nuke them and then have on toast.

I just eat it cold with bread and butter. Pilchards in tomato sauce are a favourite store cupboard lunch of mine if dh isn’t around, reminds me of childhood. As far as cooking, I use anchovies a lot but in olive oil

I also recommend fresh smoked mackerel, I make up a batch of pate (mackerel, dill, lemon, cream fraiche, capers and oregano) on a Monday morning and have it on crusty bread for breakfast each day

Don't do this. Kitchen paper is usually bleached and the tins are lined in plastic on the inside.

Toast + cream cheese + drained sardines in oil on top (sticks to the cheese!) + loads of black pepper and salt flakes.

What a great thread this is!