🐟 Oil Packed #11

When life gives you lemons, pack 'em in a tin

Matiz Wild Sardines with Natural Lemon Essence

Price: $5.00
Weight: 120g
Texture: Firm
Taste: Sour / Savory
Pair with: Pasta or salad

I’ve talked about entry-level tins before, and this one is a great example. Lower on the price point and fresh in flavor, Matiz Sardines with Lemon are an excellent starting point for the casual canned seafood enthusiast. These were probably my first foray into “specialty” tinned fish, and I haven’t stopped since.

Matiz Sardines with Lemon Essence are a particularly refreshing fish. When you open this tin, you’ll see 3-4 big, shiny fillets with a pleasantly clean smell (not fishy at all), and their skin on and bones in. These fish are packed in sunflower oil with lemon essential oil, and they have a nice, meaty taste with a soft lemony flavor. You can never go wrong with Matiz - their packing process keeps their fish tasting absolutely fresh. My only gripe with these is that the fish had a good amount of roe inside, so they tasted a little grainy. But hey, maybe you’re into that.

To serve these fish, pour out the oil into a pan and use it to fry up some garlic, capers, parsley, or any herbs you like, and then toss some pasta in that oil. Top this with the sardines. You’ll get a nice, mild lemon flavor, and a nice, savory dish. You can also try pouring off the oil to use in a salad dressing. Alternatively, eat these with a nice piece of sourdough, and dip the bread in the leftover oil afterward. Regardless of how you eat these, they pair very well with a nice white wine.

This is a delicious can of sardines at a price you can’t beat. You can find them at many higher-end grocery stores, and online, of course.

Rating: ★★★★

photos by Aaron Barton