Introductory Pack - May 2021
Ahoy! This assortment is meant to take you around the globe, along the water column, and remind you just how wild our oceans really are. We’ll explore some traditional style conservas in addition to some new wave, western hemisphere goodness. There was a great deal of intention in working with producers that sustainably source some of the world’s highest quality ingredients. Enjoy!
Güeyu Mar Calamares de Otro Planeta (Squid from Another Planet)
Asturias, Spain
If you’ve never experienced the gothic goodness that is squid in its own ink, well, welcome! Oh, and sorry for ruining every other variation of it that comes your way.
Güeyu Mar, located in Playa de la Vega, Asturias, does things differently. Widely known as one of the world’s most heavenly seafood restaurants, isolated and overlooking the Cantabrian Sea, the team has expanded its reach by canning seafood—and they’ve finally made it to the U.S.
Just like in the restaurant, there is no compromise when it comes to the integrity of the ingredients. Chef Abel Álvarez has even managed to capture one of their key ingredients in the tins: fire.
Unlikely most canneries, Güeyu Mar doesn’t smoke or steam their products, but rather they grill them over a live oak wood flame before preserving. The result is undeniably decadent and unique. You immediately recognize that the incredibly tender tentacles have taken on the flavor of a campfire at sea—and that’s exactly what it is.
Serving recommendations: What’s unique about these tins is that there is no oil or brine—just squid ink and a bit of fish stock. To best appreciate the product, we recommend grabbing a loaf of your favorite crusty bread and something briny, like capers in vinegar or pickled onions (a squeeze of lemon will even do).
Dredge a small piece of bread in the ink, add a tentacle and a caper, and transport yourself to the smokey, salty air of Spain’s rugged Northwestern coastline. Make sure to soak up all that remaining ink. Heat it up if ya must!
Beverage pairing: cold glass of sweet vermouth, lager, sparkling wine
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Les Mouettes d'Arvor Sardines w/ Butter & Sea Salt from Guerande
Concarneau, France
To no surprise, the French have a uniquely sophisticated tinned-sardine culture—it’s not uncommon to collect vintages and age them in the tins for up to 50 years!
These aren’t necessarily your aging sardines, because unlike their counterparts that are preserved in olive oil, these are preserved in fancy French butter. This is just good old-school indulgence.
Serving recommendations: Fry them in a pan on low until the butter begins to melt and bubble. Once the sardines are nice and warm, top a baguette with the fish and all of that buttery goodness. Chop up some parsley or something green if you want to go all in.
Beverage pairing: Chardonnay, Belgian beer, dry cider
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Scout PEI Mussels in Smoked Paprika & Fennel Tomato Sauce
Prince Edward Island, Canada
Let’s send it up to Canada!
Prince Edward Island has a long history of harvesting mussels and this tin certainly pays homage to just that. With a Mediterranean-Canadian fusion of a flavor profile, these mussels coated in the warm, smokey, flavorful sauce gives this tin the ability to really lead a dish on its own—it has a nice little bite of spice too.
Serving recommendations: slice a baguette and top with some crème fraîche, a couple of mussels, and some of that sauce. These mussels also do very well heated up!
We also topped a pizza with these last night, and it was very good! If doing that, drain the sauce and mix with whatever pizza sauce you decide to use, and then add the mussels after the pizza comes out of the oven.
Beverage pairing: lager, pinot noir, gamay, cava