Tinned Fish & Conservas Board
An elegant Mediterranean spread of good tinned fish, toasted bread and simple things from the pantry - built for aperitivo hour, not a party platter.
Set at Bottega Basso
a pantry-built spread for aperitivo hour
Ingredients
- 2-3 tins good-quality fish (sardines, anchovies, mackerel or tuna in olive oil)
- 1 baguette or sourdough loaf, sliced and lightly toasted
- A small bowl of olives
- Fresh lemon, cut into wedges
- A handful of cornichons or other pickled vegetables
- Soft butter, for the toast
- Flaky sea salt and black pepper
- A few sprigs of fresh dill or parsley
- Good olive oil, for drizzling
Method
- Arrange the toasted bread, olives, cornichons and lemon wedges on a large board, leaving space in the middle for the tins themselves.
- Open the tins just before serving and set them directly on the board, still in their tins - part of the appeal is seeing the fish exactly as it comes.
- Spread a little soft butter on a few slices of toast and top each with a whole sardine or anchovy fillet.
- Drizzle everything lightly with good olive oil, then finish with flaky salt, black pepper and a scattering of fresh herbs.
- Serve with extra lemon on the side and let everyone build their own toast as they go.
Essy note: Good tinned fish is the whole point here - it is worth buying the best tin available rather than treating this as a way to use up a cheap one. Serve cold, straight from the fridge, alongside a Hugo Spritz at the start of the evening.
Read Also
Enjoyed this?
The Seasonal Letter brings more stories, recipes and rituals like this one - a few times a season, never more.
Written by Esther
Esther is a photographer and storyteller, and the founder of Essy's Essentials - a seasonal home for stories, rituals, recipes and everyday luxuries.
More about Esther →