Something Smells Fishy in my Drawers

I won’t eat a anchovy out of a jar or a can or what ever.  I will however eat smoked oysters from a can and if someone is nice enough to de-bone mackerel I will eat that too.  I especially like these items on triscuits for some reason.  Add a little bit of honey spun goat cheese and you are really in business.  I am stating this with my head held tall and with no shame.  I have a bumber of cans in my can good drawer.
but, let’s face it – if your mom sent you to school with a can of kippered snacks to school you would be exiled from the rest of the kids and would be eating alone for the rest of your school career – probably the whole damn 12 grades.  Forever you would be called “fisheypants” and when you go to your reunions the first thing anyone will think when they see you is “there is fisheypants”. 

But secretly there are a lot of people to eat them.  Not just people from 3^rd world countries that have no other choice or outback hermits collecting them as part of their check list of things to do until the revolution.   I eat them from time to time but wouldn’t exactually want to eat them for an extended period of time – especially if I didn’t have my triscuits.

Here is my list of times when it would be embarrassing to eat canned preserved fish:

-          On the buss – what if it opended up?  What would I say?  Sorry that’s my kippered snack in my lunch bag?  Probably, not I would just give my neighbor a suspicious look

-          At work?  Can you imagine the looks if you heat it up?  The whole lunch room would smell like fish.  Then you put the container in the garbage and the custodian has to hold his nose when he takes the garbage out.  God forbit he not take it out for a few days and it sits around. 

-          Getting caught hiding one under your dip-shit boss’s bucket seat

-          When you check out at the grocery store – because the check-out folks are people – and like most they will judge and they do remember people… I know this for a fact because my neighbor works at lunds.  Then after all of that you have to deal with the bag-boy looking at you like you are a total freak of nature.

-          You share it with someone who actually asks what it tastes like and they throw it up into a napkin.

-          You feed some to your kid and then you later change their diaper and it makes a re appearance – strangly smelling like it was fresh out of the can.

Ok, maybe I am going a little bit over-board here.  But a home is a woman’s castle and I will proudly crack open my can of smoked oysters and eat them with pride.   Alone- at home – with the shades drawn.

On a side note – canned oysters and sardeens are EXTREEMLY popular and EXTREEMLY expensive in most European countries – espically in Spain and Italy where some of the most posh tapa bars sell some varities for as much as 500 eurios a can.  Most of the top checks in the world eat them, like them and use them in their cooking.  It’s also an incredibly common ingredient in Ceasar Salad.  If you ask the server first they will either say yes, or say no because they are TOTALLY WRONG. 

So, I have this wee little recipe that uses anchovy’s – it’s a gateway anchovy’s recipe because it doesn’t end up tasting anything like anchovy’s –but somehow imparts a deep salty savory flavor into the sauce that can’t be achieved in any other way.  Kind of like fish sauce in just about every single Thai dish you have ever eaten.  Ever.

If you like Italian food you will totally love this – I guarantee it.  I have made it tons of times for a variety of different people and everyone loves it.

Spaghetti Putenesca

3 Olive Oil

½ jar of Alesso brand oil packed anchovy’s (you can use other brands but I recommend this one)

5 cloves diced garlic

3 cans of *Chento brand stewed or whole tomatoes – the large can

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp dry oregano or ½ cup fresh oregano

1 jar of capers
1 jar of roasted sweet red peppers

1 cup of olives (I skip this because I don’t really like olives and it doesn’t matter green or white) leave them whole for a more rustic experience

1lb or Barilla brand noodles – NOT creamette or any other value brand

I like using a large shallow fry pan that has 90 degree angle sides – but a large sauce pan is fine too.

Sautee the anchovies in three tbsp. of oil.  The anchovy’s will totally disappear. I also like to put some of the anchovy oil into the pan.  Once they disappear put the garlic in and sauté till soft.  Add in the cans of tomatoes (along with the juice) and the peppers (not with the juice) and oregano.  Simmer for 45min.  Add the drained capers and the olives and simmer for another 15-30min. depending on how much time you have.  Serve of noodles!  Refer to my blog about noodles.

*I like Cento because they are San Marzano from the Marzano valley – this is what they use at Punch pizza and numerous Italian restaurants like Bucca’s.  It’s not hard to fine – they sell it at Lunds, Byerlys,, Kowalski’s  and of all places Walmart in Marhsall MN!!!  You don’t have to use this – but it really adds that extra something something.  You can also quick poach skin and dice up fresh tomatoes – about 2.4 lbs should do.   

Enjoy!