Canned seafood in America today is either tuna, or perceived as weird. And even for me, something that is so intensely salty and umami all at once can be a bit much to take when unadulterated. As much as I love putting fish sauce in things, I wouldn’t want to drink a teaspoon of it. It’s much better as a je ne sais quoi that makes the dish taste better than as a dominant ingredient.
I think like 5% of my food budget is dedicated to sardines and other canned fish (I mostly buy sardines, but smoked trout, mackerel, and mussels are also popular choices). It makes great breakfast on toast but also this sardine pasta is a staple in our house:
Lots of people in North American just don’t like sardines because their palettes are adapted for too much salt and sugar. Sardines are delicate, and American food tastes are not.
Same here. I assume that they’d be ok packed in oil, but I also use anchovies one or two at a time in cooking and it feels weird to leave them out on the shelf for weeks.
I had originally out them in the fridge but the oils got so hard that it was hard to get a filet out whole.
ETA: consensus on the web says to refrigerate them. Guess I’ll start with a new jar this week.
I just take them out 10 minutes before I use them and the oil loosens.
So you take a 28oz can of Cento San Marzano tomatoes and put em in a food processor. Sautee 4-6 cloves of garlic with lots of red pepper and 6 anchovies for a few minutes. Then add the tomatoes and 1/4 cup of olive oil and simmer on low heat for ~20 min. Then add 1/2 cup of black olives, 2 Tbs capers and 2Tb of parsley or whatever herbs and cook for a few more min. Use pasta water to adjust the consistency.
Thanks. Will try this soon, though I’ve really cut back on carbs lately.
I think you can us it as a meat sauce? Like on fish or a pork chop or something. Must be a low-carb application for red sauces.
Can confirm that cod with puttanesca sauce absolutely slaps.
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Put it over cauli rice or just plunk a shitload of roasted veggies/meat into the sauce serve it as a stew!
Almost all white fish I imagine. Even salmon.
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Yeah, think I’ll do some type of puttanesca chicken stew. Definitely stew weather in the Pac NW!
Lets talk about ramen.
The Kenji recipe looks fine but is like 12 hours worth of cooking.
Are there shortcuts? Is home made ramen worth the effort or am I better off going to our local ramen joint and spending $15 on a bowl?
Yes, the shortcut is to start with store-bought broth. Whether that’s worth it depends on how good your palate is and how much joy you get out of doing DIY projects.
I’m still planning on making my own basic stock from bonito flakes and dashi sometime, lol.
Well, I’ve taken to using store bought broth for hot pot on Wookie’s suggestion.
Is there a product that you like for ramen broth?
I just go with the best brand I can find at Kroger and then simmer with garlic ginger, sesame oil, mirin and some other stuff I’m forgetting right now.
Alright. MIght take a flyer at the asian store and see what comes up.
ETA: My brief googling has landed on this being the best option:
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My recommendation for using store bought mixes for hotpot was based on how surprisingly common that is among hotpot lovers. I’m not sure it’s true for ramen lovers. I’ve only made ramen broth from scratch, and it’s difficult, as you say.
One of life’s great philosophical questions is “should I just go get ramen at the ramen place instead of cooking it at home”? IMO if the ramen place is in a reasonable distance from your place, I have settled on ramen just being one of those things I don’t make at home. This life choice has served me well.
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That stuff looks legit.
Long shot idea, go to your local ramen spot (if you even have one) and ask to purchase a quart or two of their broth. They’ll probably sell it to you?
I empathize with your interest. It’s not about making better ramen than the pros, it’s about enjoying the experience of trying to make it delicious and your own. You make a lot of Persian food, right? Why not try it with lamb belly instead of pork.