Hear us out: there is such a thing as really good canned seafood. We know—your mind immediately goes to Chicken of the Sea and smelly lunch box sandwiches. Ours did too. But on a recent trip abroad, we discovered a long tradition of canning that captures seafood at peak freshness and produces damn good delicacies to enjoy year-round.
The growing availability of high quality canned seafood means you can more readily take advantage of what happens to be an amazing, easy-to-execute appetizer. Most of the hard work has already been done; all you have to do is dress up the canned seafood with fresh herbs, citrus and a bit of seasoning.
Canned Octopus with Garlic, Lemon and Parsley
Makes 4 servings
One small can octopus, packed in olive oil or salt water
1⁄2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Olive oil
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf of rustic bread, warmed and sliced, for serving
Open the can of octopus. Add the garlic, parsley, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil to the can. Stir to combine and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with toothpicks and slices of bread.
