Fishy Delights 51: Look's Atlantic Premium Smoked Sardine Fillets

Man, I loves me some canned sardines, as you can probably tell by looking at how many different brands I've reviewed over the years. I often take a can to work for lunch - they're easy to eat, wicked good for you, and they have a side benefit of making my office smell fishy until the trash is emptied (I derive amusement from the annoyance of the next shift.)

These smoked sardine fillets are a bit of a departure for me, since I usually go for the smaller cans of "whole" fish. And, as you might expect, not only the flavor but the texture of these little morsels are very different than whole canned sardines.

I've had many smoked sardines before. It's very common for a label to note that the fish are "lightly smoked." Sometimes - as with the Galleon brand sardines I recently reviewed - the smoke flavor is of the utmost subtlety, almost a whisper. Other times the smoke flavor is more distinct, though still gentle. Not, however, with these fillets. The smoke flavor is strong and assertive (though not as strong as with, say, Blind Robin smoked herring,) and the fish tends to fall apart and be a bit on the dry side. I think that this is because the fish are simply packed in the cans with a bit of salt - no added water or oil - and the resulting liquid in the can is released from the fishies when they cook during processing.

Like all the sardines I eat, I enjoyed these just the way they were, straight out of the can. But if you were to flake the fish with a fork and mix it well with some cream cheese and some finely chopped capers, and then season it with a bit of salt, some good hot Hungarian or Spanish paprika, and just the slightest dash of allspice, you'd have a pretty damn good cracker spread.

In New England, you can usually find Look's products at Ocean State Job Lot stores.

Fishy Delights 49: Brunswick Flavored Sardines

I've liked sardines as long as I can remember, and even though they seem to have fallen out of favor in the past 20 years or so, I still enjoy them and seek them out. There's been a lot of buyouts and consolidations in the sardine business as the years have gone by - that, and the huge decline in the Atlantic herring population, has pretty much killed off the American sardine industry, with the last US cannery closing in 2010. These days, the sardines available in your local supermarkets come from Morocco, Poland, Norway, and - like these Brunswick flavored sardines - Canada.

These are not the million-or-so-sardines-to-a-can tiny fish most of us think of when we think of sardines, but average 3 to 5 largish fish per can. Although they're bigger, the fish are no less tender and delicious as the tiny ones. All three varieties had that in common.

Soybean Oil with Hot Peppers - Packed with slices of hot chili peppers which infused the fish and the oil with noticeable but mild spicy heat. I found the heat level to be rather mild; if you're not into chili spice, you may find it a little more kicky. Very good.

Tomato and Basil Sauce - Sardines have been packed in tomato sauce since forever. The difference here is the savoriness of the sauce. Instead of just some simple unadorned tomato sauce, Brunswick uses a sauce that's heavy on the basil and sprinkled with a few other Italian herbs as well. This results in a surprisingly good (albeit fishy) tomato sauce with a certain hearty character.

Mustard and Dill Sauce - The mustard is very mild - even milder than out-of-the-jar yellow mustard - and is loaded with dill. Too loaded for me, because dill is my least favorite of all herbs (I like it dill pickles and that's about where it stops.) Because I particularly loathe the flavor of fish with dill, I didn't like these at all. Do you like dill? Then you might like these.

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Out of the Can: Caravelle Brand Canned Jack Mackerel (Fishy Delights 48)

The label on the can show a delightful slice of pink-fleshed fish steak, tastefully presented on a plate surrounded by parsely. Of course that's not what is actually inside.

Caravelle canned Jack Mackerel is pretty unexceptional stuff, as you would likely expect from such a basic bony fish. Somewhat coarse in texture, it's even more strong-tasting than the cheapest sardines, and each cut features a thick backbone (which is rendered soft by cooking.)

I don't actually buy this product for myself; I use it to supplement my dog Zim's supper. As he's gotten older, he's started to develop some arthritis in his hips. His vet has me putting fish oil and glucosamine caps daily in his food, and I add a chunk of mackerel to it both to hide the taste of the pills and give him the added benefit of the natural Omega-3s that are found in the fish.

Fishy Delights 47: Giovanni's Shrimp Spread

I never know what I'm going to find when I go into a Dollar Tree. The place is loaded with surprises - like this stuff: Giovanni's Shrimp Spread.

I'm a big fan of patés, potted meats, and confits both commercial and homemade, so I put this into my shopping cart without a second thought.

The photo at left really doesn't do justice to the  awesomeness of the spread's pumpkin-custard-orange color. Despite having a very strong "dockside" aroma, it looked like the center of a pumpkin pie.

The flavor was quite unique. Shrimpy, yes, but with a faint livery taste like lobster tomalley (even though there is absolutely no lobster or liver in this  paté.) Savory and not very salty, it paired well with the crackers we spread it on.

The dogs and I were the only ones with much appreciation for it. Maryanne told me it "wasn't bad" but declined further samples, and Lynnafred just flat out called it "another disgusting chapter in your food shenanigan journal."  Criticism notwithstanding, I would certainly buy this product again. I thought it was really good as a spread, but I can also think of at least a few applications for it in other recipes:

• Mixed with a little softened butter, spread on lightly toasted baguette slices, and run under a broiler for quickie shrimp toasts
• Added as a binder to the filling for stuffed crabs
• Mixed into the stuffing for deviled eggs

Look for it at your local Dollar Tree.  You can also check out Giovanni's Appetizing Foods on their Facebook page.

Fishy Delights 46: Iberia Canned Octopus

This is probably going to be the last time I review a tin of octopus - not because I'm going to stop buying it, but because it turns out that all brands of tinned octopus are pretty much the same. In fact, I suspect that there is one master cannery where all the world's supply of octopus is put up into cans, and then sold to various companies around the world who put the unmarked cans into their own branded cardboard box packaging.

And thus it is that I can say that Iberia brand octopus in soybean oil is exactly as good as you would expect if you happen to like canned octopus (which I do.) Inside the can you will find circular cuts of tentacles, tender yet chewy, with a very pleasant seafood flavor strongly reminiscent of calamari. 

Also: If you like seafood and you're trying to lose a few pounds, keep in mind that a 4-ounce tin of octopus is very satisfying (probably has something to do with the chewiness) and is only 100 calories.

Fishy Delights 44: Roland Mussels a la Nicoise & Mussels In Tomato Sauce

Roland Mussels a la Nicoise and Mussels in Tomato Sauce.  I turned the jars over in my hands at Ocean State Job Lot, peering through the glass at the shucked and prepared mussels inside, trying to make up my mind whether or not to put them in my shopping cart.  On the one hand, they were by Roland, a company I have come to trust through long experience with their truly excellent (and generally low-cost) products. On the other hand, they were mussels, which are delicious but somewhat delicate, and my prior encounters with canned mussels have been less than ideal.  In the end, curiosity won out. Of course.

Mussels a la Nicoise was more of a mussel salad. Tiny tender mussels, pickled in a vinegar brine along with small bits of cucumber, onion, celery, and red pepper. The vinegar was a bit overpowering but I have to admit the mussels were rather awesome - nicely prepared and not at all similar to the nasty tinned smoked mussels I've had in the past, which taste and feel like little lumps of smoked clay. These would be quite worthy served as one portion of a relish plate.

The Mussels in Tomato Sauce are equally well-prepared and tender but I thought they were somewhat less successful. I guess I was just not expecting the tomato-sauced variety to be pickled (though I have to admit the flavors of the vinegary brine and the thin but very tomatoey sauce blended nicely.) As with the mussels a la Nicoise, I wouldn't hesitate to put them out on a relish plate. I think I would dress them up with some horseradish, though.

Available at some Ocean State Job Lot stores in southern New England while supplies last.

Sardines In A Pouch

Love 'em or hate 'em, there is one thing no one can deny about sardines: they are fragile little things, and don't take well to being indelicately handled. More than once, a little fishy morsel has broken off and tumbled back to the plate when I've tried to lift it whole with my fork.

You'd think that, of all the people familiar with sardines in the world, the people who actually process and package and sell them would know this. Apparently not, because Crown Prince actually has tried selling sardines in pouches.

When I saw these at Big Lots! it was almost mandatory that I buy them.  I couldn't think of a more ridiculous way to pack sardines, and I couldn't wait to find out what they were going to be like when I opened them up at lunchtime.  I could just imagine what they would look like after having been tumbled through the wholesale and retail distribution chain without the traditional exoskeleton of a metal can, and I was sure it wasn't going to be pretty.

I opened the first pouch - sardines in soy oil, lightly smoked - and tipped them out onto a plate.  "Not pretty" was an understatement. These fish had the shit kicked out of them. I think there might have originally been four whole sardines in the package, but without the help of a forensic ichthyologist, there was no way to tell.  I found some fair-sized fish chunks, lots of little pieces, and plenty of tiny fragments and soft-cooked bits of rib bones.  There were also some long, semi-crunchy lengths of spine. I never remove the spines or other bones when I eat whole sardines, so I didn't bother trying to remove them when I ate these.  The fish tasted fine, although the texture was a little dry despite having been packed in oil.  And of course, there was the horrifying presentation.

The second pouch were sardines in mustard sauce.  These fish had successfully retained their shape, probably thanks to the high-viscosity mustard sauce which had the consistency of gear oil and likely provided some shock absorption during shipping. Unfortunately, Crown Prince's mustard sauce isn't the best I've ever had; it is strong and rather harsh and covers, rather than enhances, the flavor of the fish.

The final pouch, containing the sardines in "Louisiana hot sauce" (not pictured) was sort of in between the other two in terms of sardine integrity. The fish were broken but not mangled but I can't really attribute that to the presence of sauce.  As interpreted by Crown Prince, "Louisiana hot sauce" is a quantity of oil colored bright red by the clots of brownish-red pepper sauce which are suspended within it. It adds little to the flavor of the sardines, but does add a mild but irritating back-of-the-throat scratchy heat in the manner of cayenne pepper powder.

It is no surprise to me that the only place I have seen sardines-in-a-pouch offered for sale is at Big Lots. Only a job lot store could possibly sell them with a straight face, and a quick check of Crown Prince's website shows me that they don't even list this packaging option as one of their products.  Hopefully, sardine pouches were a marketing experiment that won't be repeated.

Fishy Delights 40: Del Sol Octopus In "Marine" Sauce

You know what seafood I find just about irresistible?  Canned octopus.  There are good brands and mediocre brands, but I've never had a bad one.

Take this very inexpensive brand, Del Sol, which is produced in Spain. It's amusingly labeled in both Spanish and English:  Pulpo a la Marinera / Octopus in Marine Sauce.  Heh.

Anyway, the moist cooking-in-the-can process that pasteurizes and seals the can isobviously an excellent way to prepare octopus, because just like every other tinned octopodes I've tried, the meat is tender yet firm, somewhat al dente, and just a bit resistant to chewing (but not at all rubbery.)  The sauce was nothing special - very oily, not much of a tomato flavor (not much of any flavor, actually) but still carrying a subtle hint of spiciness that complimented the meat.  Most remarkable of all to me was how very much this octopus reminded me of lobster.  No kidding, it had about the same level of chewiness as chunks of lobster tail, and the flavor was similar as well, though not exact.  I bet if I had rinsed some of the sauce off, pounded the chunks of meat to "loosen" them up a little, and dressed the bits in mayo, they'd have made a decent Mock Lobster Roll.

Normally, tinned octopus is cut into slices before being packed.  I think that someone on the packing line dropped their knife as this can rolled by their work station.  Pretty awesome, no?

Fishy Delights 39: Reese Spiced Octopus in Seasoned Red Sauce

Of all the canned seafood I've eaten, I think octopus is one of my favorites.  There is something about the taste and texture of tinned octopus that just appeals to me:  tender yet resilient, mildly briny and shellfish-like, but with an almost buttery aspect to the taste.  I rarely pass up the opportunity to pick up a few cans of octopus or the similar-tasting cuttlefish when they're on sale.

Because Reese has pretty high quality standards - I've yet to get a bad product from them - I snapped up a couple cans of the Spiced Octopus in Seasoned Red Sauce when it turned up at Ocean State Job Lot.

Check out that big meaty chunk of octopus.

The octopus is indeed tender, and the sauce is pretty decent, if a bit oily:  tomatoes and spices present but not overwhelming.  There's just enough for a light lunch or to toss into a seafood salad, or stirred into a bowl of ramen.

One word of caution:  The top to these things have a pull ring, which tends to make the lid splash oily red sauce nearly everywhere when it comes off.  Be careful not to open it right next to your keyboard. (Yes. Personal experience talking.)

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Why Is Canned Tuna So Crappy?

When I was a kid, my mom would buy two kinds of canned tuna:  Chunk Light, and Solid White.  The difference between them was obvious - "solid white" was a thick, solid piece of fish; flaky and white, and obviously a whole cut placed into the can, while "chunk light" was a can full of smaller bits which were darker in color.  Chunk Light was cheaper, and that's the kind Mom used for tuna salad sandwiches.  After all, if you're going to be breaking the tuna down with a fork and mixing it with mayo and stuff anyway, why start with the expensive stuff?  she saved the Solid White tuna for casseroles and pasta salads where large flaked pieces would be more appreciated.  When I went off on my own, I pretty much followed the same reasoning.

Over the years, however,  I've noticed that the quality of affordable canned tuna has dropped amazingly.  I completely avoid tuna labeled "chunk" now, because the product is almost unrecognizable.  Take, for example, this chunk white tuna by Ace of Diamonds.  There are no chunks involved - just a can full of sludgy tunawater with lots of fishy particles suspended in it.  This was really nasty stuff and it was worthless.  Other brands of chunk-style tuna have proven to be just as bad.

But I've also found out I have to be careful about which brand of solid white tuna I buy, too.  Although the quality is generally better with solid white, there is a wide variation between brands and even from can to can within brands as well.

Starkist solid white tuna is usually of decent quality, with big fillets of flaky white tuna, just like I remember as a kid.  It's great for a casserole or a macaroni salad, and it makes delicious tuna salad as well.

Similarly, this can of 3 Diamonds solid white tuna was excellent as well.  Mitsubishi, the corporate overlords of the 3 Diamonds brand, have changed this brand name to "Ace of Diamonds" since then (and they were the folks responsible for the tuna slurry pictured above) so I'm not sure if this older photograph is still representative of the actual product.  I hope so, but I won't find out until the next time it goes on sale.

Bumblebee solid white tuna, on the other hand, is just barely acceptable for a "solid" tuna.  The picture at left is typical of what you'll find in the can:  No solid pieces at all, just chunks.  If the color was darker it would look exactly like the "chunk light" tuna of my youth.  At least I've found Bumblebee to be consistent - every time I open a can of their solid white tuna, I know I'm going to find this - so I don't turn away an opportunity to buy a few cans when they go on sale for less than a dollar a can at the local supermarkets.  I just wouldn't pay full price for it.

And then there are brands which vary from can to can.  Here are two cans of Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna (undrained) side by side.  I purchased them at the same time from the same supermarket.  The one of the left was filled with bits and pieces; the one on the right was what I expected to find when I bought "solid tuna."  Do they have no quality control at the canneries?

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Fishy Delights 38: G'Day Gourmet Tuna - Tomato Salsa flavor.

G'Day Gourmet Tomato Salsa tuna has a rich, full tomato flavor with hints of red and green bell peppers and onions, and black pepper sprinkled throughout. It's really good, and not too 'fishy' the way tuna sometimes is. I really liked this particular flavored tuna.

 They call this "Australian style savoury tuna."  Are flavored tunas common in Oz?

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Fishy Delights 36: G'Day Gourmet Tomato and Onion Tuna

While shopping at Ocean State Job Lot, Dave and I stumbled upon these cans of "Australian style tuna" called G'Day Gourmet. The shape of the cans amused me - they have the same upside-down can layout that cat food brand Fancy Feast does - so it immediately led to cat food jokes while we walked through the store. At a buck a can, they looked to be a sufficient lunch size, so I decided I'd give them a go.

When I opened the can up, the first thing I noticed was that it had decent sized chunks of onions throughout the tuna. It also had small, pale pieces of tomato swimming on top. And mixed within the tuna was a strange, sweet-tasting watery stuff.

The Fancy Fea-- I mean tuna -- tasted like it was swimming in cheap barbecue sauce. The tomatoes and onions were accented with vinegar and that annoying something sweet was probably covered under the "natrual flavors." Unfortunately, a lot of the tuna's flavor was drowned out with the sweet-vinegary-tomatoey flavors going on. I can definitely see why this flavor was in a job lot.

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Fishy Delights 35: Dried Eel Snacks

So I've had this package of fishy snacks lurking in my kitchen for a few months now; my altdaughter Stephanie (who is teaching in China and writes the blog Stephanie In Shanghai about her experiences) sent it to me in a sort of "CARE package" of Asian goodies.  I've kind of been avoiding opening it, because they're...um...eels, and eels totally squick me out.

But curiosity is a stronger primal force than squick, and so it was that I finally opened up the package to give them a try.

I've had lots of dried fish products, most of them pretty good.  I've tasted dried salt cod right off the sun-bathed racks of a New England fishing dock.  I've eaten shredded dried fish, and clam jerky, and leathery strips of dehydrated squid.  But none of it - not a bit - was as agressively fishy as this dried eel.  The taste is strong and deeply fishy, and not in a pleasant way.  And it stinks, as well. Imagine an old fish fillet, forgotten in the back of the fridge for a week or two, and then discovered.  That first whiff?  That's what the eel was like.

I ate a piece, and the flavor just gets stronger and more off-putting the longer it's chewed and held in the mouth.  It was truly Not Good.  And yet, for all that, dried eels snacks do have their uses.  

I don't know where the dog was when I first opened the pouch - he certainly wasn't in the kitchen with me. But within seconds, he was at my side, nose lifted, sniffing deeply in the direction of the pouch and looking at me with those big liquid I Love You Because You Have Snacks eyes.  Luckily for him, eel snacks are high-protein and low-fat, and so I indulge his craving now and then with them.  I'm glad someone in the house can stand them.

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Fishy Delights 34: Brunswick Seafood Snacks in Tomato and Basil Sauce

Much like the Brunswick Kippered Herring that I reviewed a couple of years ago, these delicious boneless herring fillets are carefully packaged and perfectly seasoned. The tomato and basil sauce added a very nice flavor without being overwhelming.  So far, I haven't had any unpleasant surprises from Brunswick.  Very nice indeed.

Link:

Brunswick's website.

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Fishy Delights 33: Ocean Queen Smoked Scallops

I've got a bunch of "Fishy Delights" posts coming up; this is partly because I enjoy canned fish and seafood and it makes a convenient lunch, but it's also because I'm on a mission to lower my triglyceride levels and one of the ways I'm doing it is to increase the amount of oily fish in my diet.

Today's entry - Ocean Queen Smoked Scallops - certainly qualifies as canned seafood, but doesn't really count for much in the omega-3 department, alas.  The consolation, however, is that they are delicious.  Probably the best canned shellfish ever.

I never have very high expectations when I buy canned shellfish.  Oysters, clams, and mussels turn into something alien and only vaguely edible once they've been smoked, packed in oil, and processed at the cannery.  (And yet, as I've mentioned before, that doesn't seem to stop me from buying and trying them whenever a new brand catches my eye.)  The first time I saw these smoked scallops at Ocean State Job Lot, I passed them by precisely because I thought they'd be just another nasty canned shellfish, but Steve at Connecticut Museum Quest bought a can on one of his own OSJL excursions  and emailed me about their deliciousness.  I just couldn't hold out against that arm-twisting.

The scallops are certainly not that impressive when the can is opened -  they look like murky little brown nubbins in soybean oil.  I drained off the oil and dumped the scallops onto a plate, and that was when it became apparent that these were whole scallops, not just the stripped-down adductor muscle Americans are accustomed to seeing at the fish market and on their plates.  No, these tiny morsels include the rest of the mollusk along with flat round muscle.  It adds up to a singularly enjoyable treat, delicious right out of the can.  The flavor is a complex and well-balanced interplay of both savory and sweet notes:  there's the gentle smokey tone, the strong clammy flavor of the scallop roe and "non adductor bits," the mild briny sweetness of the muscle, and a subtle but noticeable "milky" sweetness underlying it all.  Accenting it all is the texture of the scallops - at once creamy and smooth, yet firm.

I ate 'em with a fork, right off the plate, and although these really are too good to let their flavor be buried and lost to a recipe, I can think of at least a few ways to use them - they'd be great added to a clam chowder, for example, to round out the flavors and bring a pleasant and mild smokey flavor to the broth.  Or fork-mashed and added to a clam dip - again, the sweet scallop flavor would enhance and season the clams.  Or used as a topping for a bacon/clam/scallop/anchovy pizza.  Awesome.
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Fishy Delights 32: Riga Sprats

These days, it's hard to find sardines that are both inexpensive and tiny and delicate.  Riga Sprats, packed in Latvia and found in many international-style markets, fit the bill nicely.  

Lightly smoked and packed in sunflower oil, Riga Sprats are the kind of high-quality delicious little fishies we grew up with.  Each tin contains a generous 5.6-ounce portion of fish, carefully laid in layers - ready for lunch, snacking, or canapes and recipes.  And they're very inexpensive - the local markets here carry them for $1.79 - $1.99 a can, and you can even find them on Amazon for $1.79 each.

The tiny fish are quite wonderful - scaleless and perfect, mildly fishy and with a hint of smokiness.  They're great on crackers with some thinkly-shaved sharp onion and some Turkish beyaz peynir (white farmer's cheese.)

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Fishy Delights 31: Beach Cliff Sardines

 As you probably know by now, Bumble Bee Foods has decided to close their Prospect Harbor ME sardine cannery - the last sardine cannery left in the United States and the home of Beach Cliff brand sardines.  I thought that I had reviewed Beach Cliff sardines at some point, but I found that I was mistaken.  I'm sorry I never got around to it, because this post - number 31 in my "fishy delights" series - is going to be more of eulogy than a review.  Once that factory is closed and remaining stock "in the pipeline" is sold off, whatever Bumble Bee brings out afterwards isn't going to be "Beach Cliff" any more.  That's really too bad, because the sardines Bumble Bee sells under it's own name are less than spectacular.

I wasn't able to try every variety of sardine produced by Beach Cliff because the stores in my area never carried every single kind.  But I was able to enjoy five flavors, and I've written up reviews for them.  Act quickly if you want to try them for yourself - the last cans will be rolling off the packing lines soon.

Sardines in Soybean Oil - Usually three or four sardine cuts in each can, in a decent-quality light soybean oil.  Flavorful without being too "fishy," the sardines were of excellent quality despite their larger size. And they were certainly fairly priced at about a dollar a can on sale (or about $1.25 a can at full price.)

Sardines in Tomato Sauce - Larger size sardines, as with the plain ones packed in soybean oil.  I liked the tomato sauce they were packed in - there were notes of garlic and horseradish and some herbs; the sauce was tangy and flavorful.

Sardines in Mustard Sauce - Plain and simple mustard sauce with no adornments.  There is something about the sharp flavor of mustard that is very complimentary to sardines, and this variety was excellent - the same high-quality wild-caught Gulf of Maine sardines as in the others.

Sardines in Louisiana Hot Sauce - Nothing packed in "hot sauce" or advertised to a mass market as being "extra spicy" is ever very spicy, and this variety was no exception.  That being said, however, this was my favorite of the five flavors I was able to find.  The hot sauce, despite its shortcomings, delivered a decent kick with a good pepper flavor behind it.  I'll miss this flavor most of all.

Sardines in Soybean Oil with Hot Green Chilies - Another flavor that didn't actually deliver the promised spice level (although there was indeed a little boost.)  But there's something about sardines and chilis that have a natural affinity, and because this was the hardest kind of Beach Cliff sardines for me to find, they were always a treat when I got ahold of them.

So there you have it.  A day late and a buck short, as my douchebag junior high gym coach used to say, but at least it can stand as a farewell to yet another bit of vanishing New England.

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The Last Sardine Cannery In the US to Close

For a hundred years, sardines have been processed in Prospect Harbor, Maine, at the Stinson Seafood cannery.  It was once one of 46 sardine canneries that dotted the coast of Maine at the peak of the sardine fishery in the early 1950's.  Now the Beach Cliff Sardines fisherman sign - a painted cutout that stands as tall as a telephone pole at the edge of the building's parking lot - looks out over the town from the last remaining sardine cannery  in the US.

Last remaining until April, that is.

San Diego-based Bumble Bee Foods LLC,  the current owner of the plant, announced on 17 February 2010 that they were ending operations in Prospect Harbor and closing the cannery.  Federal catch limits for herring - reduced to 180,000 metric tons in 2004 and further reduced to 91,200 metric tons this year - are blamed by the company for the closing.  They claim that the tighter limits have made it uneconomical to continue business there - even though Bumble Bee had previously told workers that they were committed to keeping the plant open regardless of the reduced catch level.

Maine is losing another bit of her history and her heritage. Prospect Harbor is  losing a piece of its identity.  And 130 people living there are losing their jobs, forced out of work in a county already struggling with a 10.9% unemployment rate.  Tender-hearted Bumble Bee says that they'll offer laid-off employees jobs that open up at their other plants in New Jersey, Canada, California, and Puerto Rico.  Mighty big of 'em. Maybe they think we've forgotten that the Snow's Clam Chowder that is now canned in Cape May NJ was also once a Maine product before they moved production out of New England and changed the recipe to slop.

Prospect Harbor, a village on the Schoodic Penninsula about 45 minutes east of Ellsworth, doesn't have many jobs to offer, and this closing is going to affect more than just the 130 people directly employed by the factory.  Area lobstermen, for example, are already being squeezed by historically low lobster prices.  They were able to buy herring for bait directly from the plant at a good, inexpensive price.  After April, lobster bait is going to be more expensive, further cutting into their pockets.

And in the meantime, selectmen and other officials from the affected towns are working to help find a buyer for the cannery and explore alternatives to sardine processing.

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Fishy Delights 29: Officer brand Smoked Cod Liver in its Own Oil

Most Americans these days have little experience with cod livers or cod liver oil.  The oil was once commonly used as a tonic and preventive medicine, especially in the winter months (it's high in Vitamins A and D) and in my great-grandmother's day was administered every morning by the spoonful to unappreciative children. (I guess you could say that it's still commonly used that way - modern people just take their fish oil in little capsules these days, bypassing the tastebuds.)

Because of this former ubiquity, cod liver oil has it's own special place in urban legend.  Your grandparents might even recount horror stories about having been forced to take it straight up from a spoon as a child.  So the actual flavor of cod liver - and the cod liver oil it's packed in - is likely to come as a huge surprise.  Far from being overwhelmingly "fishy" or rancid-tasting, the flavor is relatively mild and delicate - certainly no worse than a good canned salmon and much less fishy than a can of sardines.

Officer Smoked Cod Liver is a product of Denmark, packed in a 4.26-ounce can.  Inside the can there is a generous portion of cod liver in very pale amber oil.  The pieces of liver inside are soft but firm, creamy and smooth and buttery.  The liver is meltingly tender - almost ethereal in texture - with a gentle, pleasant fish flavor.  More than anything, it reminded me of caviar-flavored butter.

I enjoyed the liver spread on thinly sliced and toasted pumpernickel bread for breakfast, closely attended by my fish-loving dog Zim.  I gave him a tiny bit of the liver, thereby ensuring his continuing devotion, but I have to be careful about feeding him anything this fatty - the last time I tried cod liver in its own oil, I gave a somewhat larger piece to the dog and it kind of seeped out unexpectedly if you know what I mean, and I think you do because let's face it, we're all adults here.

So now that I've given you that charming mental image, I will note that one of the best places to find canned cod liver is in an ethnic Russian market; cod liver salad is a popular Russian treat.  There are many ways to make it, but one of the simplest is as follows:

Cod Liver Salad

1 can of cod liver in its own oil, drained - reserve the oil
1 small shallot, finely minced
2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the cod liver, shallot, and eggs in a bowl and thoroughly blend with a fork. If the mixture seems too dry, drizzle in some of the reserved oil in as you mix until the salad is the consistency you desire.  This is very good as a filling for small tomatoes, or simply spread on bread or crackers.

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Fishy Delights 27: Bar Harbor Wild Herring Fillets

I can't believe that it's taken me this long to write about Bar Harbor Foods' canned products; they are a pantry staple for me, especially the chowders and canned fish, and since this is the 27th entry in my "Fishy Delights" series, you'd think that I would have gotten to them sooner.

Anyway, today's review covers two of Bar Harbor Foods' Wild Caught Fish varieties: Wild Herring Fillets Seasoned with cracked pepper, and Wild Herring Fillets in Stone Ground Mustard Sauce. Both offer big meaty herring fillets and all-natural ingredients.

Wild Herring Fillets Seasoned with Cracked Pepper are delicious, with a lightly smoked flavor and lots of relatively fine-grained cracked black pepper. The pepper's natural fruitiness compliments the fish very well, and the spice comes through without being overwhelming. I loved them as is for lunch, but I'm betting these would be an awesome alternative to tuna in a salad-sandwich filling.

Wild Herring Fillets in Stone Ground Mustard Sauce are just as good. The mustard sauce wasn't harsh or obtrusive - again, it complimented the fish nicely without overpowering it. As with the cracked pepper fillets, I ate these as is for lunch, with some sesame flatbread crackers and paper-thin onion slices on the side. Excellent.

I've got some other Bar Harbor stuff to review as well, thanks to a sale at my favorite discount store, Ocean State Job Lot, and I'll try to get to them over the next few weeks.

Link:

Bar Harbor Foods website. The site includes a search page where you can find a store in your area carrying their products.

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