For my latest adventure in the world of conservas, I’m finally opening a tin of mackerel. Tins of mackerel, usually imported from Italy, were pretty common in our community. Everyone’s dad or grandfather had tins of various types of tinned mackerel in the cupboard. Some of these tins could have been decades old, but the fish inside was always in perfect condition.
This box of Season Brand Mackerel in 100% Olive Oil has been sitting in my pantry for about a year. I don’t know why I kept putting it off. I guess I felt I needed to be in a mackerel kind of mood. Now it’s time for this humble tin of fish to shine in the form of a lunch salad.
About Season Brand Mackerel
Season is a century-old American company that produces tinned and canned seafood in five categories, one of them being sardines. I’ve tried Season’s sardines and I was not a fan – of the sardines, not the brand. Mackerel on the other hand I do like, I just don’t eat it much these days.
The back of the box had the typical nutrition information along with data on the mackerel itself. Season is using chub mackerel also known as tinker, which is common in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Mackerel are a very nutritious and lower mercury alternative to canned tuna and in my opinion, is a better tasting alternative to skipjack “chunk light” canned tuna.
Chub mackerel are an abundant species and the box of Season mackerel boasts a sustainability badge from Friends of the Sea. This tin of boneless skinless mackerel was produced in Morocco.
What’s Inside the Tin?
I was greeted with a well packed tin of boneless and skinless mackerel fillets under shimmering olive oil. They were slightly firm, and mostly held together when being removed. However they were not hard, the fish easily broke apart with a fork.
I took a sample bite and I realized that this tin of mackerel had gotten the justice it deserved. It was absolutely delicious and I began to wonder why I’ve been buying canned tuna all this time!
For lunch I placed the Season Brand mackerel fillets atop of a mix of arugula and tomato, fresh from my garden. I only added a bit of red wine vinaigrette and some salt for a perfect salad.
The Verdict on Season Brand Mackerel in Olive Oil
I can’t praise this tin of mackerel enough. It was cheap, delicious and surprisingly filling in that light salad. This is definitely going on my regular shopping list and I look forward to trying the rest of Season Brand’s line of tinned mackerel.
