Tinned Fish Board

Open but do not remove tins. Arrange on board with cheeses, crackers, veggies, olives and herbs.

As shown, starting upper left hand corner: Smoked oysters, fresh dill and marjoram; watermelon radishes, green olives and pickled shallots; Ricotta (in bowl), baked crackers, Dry Jack, crispbread, butter and cucumbers; tinned sardines, dill, olives, shallots and kippers; marjoram, cucumber, radishes, shallots and Carmody; olives, shallots, crispbread, tuna, dill, crackers and Blue cheese.

Below are pairing suggestion for customizing your board at home:

• Sardines and California Ricotta or a hard Italian-style cheese

• Smoked Oysters and California Blue Cheese or Cream Cheese

• Any kind of Pickled or Smoked fish with California Butter

• White Tuna and a semi firm cheese like California Carmody or Toma

Add some crunch like crackers, crusty bread, chips, or Swedish crispbread.

Add accouterments like radishes, cucumbers, olives, lemon, and herbs.

Tin fish has been a staple in many European countries for hundreds of years. This method of seafood preservation entails catching the fish at its peak and canning it with oils and sometimes spices or other flavors. This dish is deeply rooted in history and tradition and has found its way to mainstream United States. Tin fish has been a cheap and convenient source of protein especially during times of economic turbulence and food scarcity.

This board can be modified to fit your preferences and serving size, here we show a variety of pairing ideas inspired by a cross between a tapas spread and a smörgåsbord.

Note: The word smörgåsbord comes from the Swedish words smörgås, meaning “open sandwich” or “buttered bread” and bord meaning “table”. So, the definition of smörgåsbord is literally a table full of open sandwiches. A smörgåsbord usually consists of different small plates of food like fish and pickled things and can be found throughout Scandinavian countries.

Recipe and image by Jessica Lawrenz/@mongermoldandmilk