Combo Pack: The Complete Don Gastronom (La Narval)

The distinctive long ribs are separated by belly fat, making ventresca the perfect tuna for presentation purposes. Yellowfin has a more meaty flavor and chew than albacore, but we can't call one better than the other, and highly recommend tasting similar cuts from the different fish side-by-side to better triangulate their individual features.

110g tin

The terminology of tuna is confusing, it isn't just you. Yellowfin is also called Atun Claro and is one of two tunas (skipjack being the other) sometimes and in some places referred to as "light tuna". A little meatier, a little more mineraly, than albacore, and a bit different in the chew. We enjoy both equally, depending only on mood.

110g tin

This canned squid is great straight from the tin, but really comes into its own when gently warmed and served atop or alongside rice.

110g tin

Whole squids stuffed with their own tentacles and cooked in a sauce made from using their ink. Traditionally served with rice so as not to waste any of the savory sauce.

110g tin

This is the tin that got me hooked on the brand.

I initially thought the price point was so low it was suspect. Then I had some Angelo Parodi and realized it was possible to do a really good mackerel at a really good price. And I ordered in samples of all their products. This was the first tin I opened. Definitely one of the best cost-to-quality ratio products I've found. Boneless and skinless fillets that are great as is or deployed into hundreds of possible uses. Use as you would tuna or as you would sardines. These are that versatile.

110g tin

Great straight from the tin, and also a stellar way to refresh/rejuvinate/renew leftover rice or pasta.

110g tin

Steamed in seawater and then dried before being tinned to improve absorption of the oil.

120g tin

This tinned octopus is excellent straight from the tin with a squeeze of citrus or a vinegary sauce of some kind, or fry them in a saute pan until they just start to golden up and serve with patatas bravas or toss with pasta.

One really great thing about the canning process is that squid and octopus and clams, often tricky for a home cook to get just right when cooked from raw, are always perfectly cooked and only need to be brought up to eating temperature.

110g tin

The box and company literature refer to liquid this octopus is tinned in as "marinera" or "Marinière" but it doesn't seem to me to be a member of either class of sauces, as there's no tomato, no white wine or lemon juice or butter or parsley, really nothing but sunflower oil and spices, so that's how I have described it. They do also say "perfect for tapas" and I completely agree with that.

One really great thing about the canning process is that squid and octopus and clams, often tricky for a home cook to get just right when cooked from raw, are always perfectly cooked and only need to be brought up to eating temperature.

110g tin

One of the best analogies I can think of to explain why white clams are so expensive is to compare them to cashews. If all you want are tiny pieces, you can get those at a much lower price than if you're looking for whole super jumbo. Not all applications require super jumbo. But some uses most definitely do. Great straight from the tin with a squeeze of citrus. But imagine the positively decadent possibilities for dishes you've loved when prepared previously with chopped clams.

110g tin

Mussels from the Galician coast prepared in one of the most classic sauces in Spain: Escabeche. This version is made with paprika, vinegar, oil, garlic and bay leaves.

110g tin

Traditionally served with a squeeze of lemon and freshly chopped parsley, these canned cockles can be served hundreds of ways. Lately we've been crushing on them by the toothpick skewerful as Bloody Mary garnishes.

Don Gastronom cockles in brine can also be swapped into any recipe that calls for clams for an instant notching-up.

110g tin

I don't know what it is about clams and me, but I love them in practically all their forms. Surf clam sashimi, New England clam chowder, hand-breaded fried clams at the shore, and tinned razor clams are some of my favorites. These are great straight from the tin with a squeeze of lemon, but they really shine when incorporated into dishes. They can be used to upgrade just about any recipe that calls for white clams (you may need to cut the pieces down for some presentations). Helen recently made Pan Bagnat and substituted razor clams for tuna and it was probably the best sandwich I had all year.

110g tin

It was in the 1950s, when Joan Tapias was at the forefront of the Espinaler company, when his wife, Ventureta Roldós, created a sauce to dress the Galician shellfish preserves that were served in the ‘Taberna’.

Ventureta, well-known in the village as a great lover of cuisine, gathered together the best ingredients to make Espinaler sauce: top-quality wine vinegar, black pepper, red pepper and a selection of spices that she never reveals.

The result: an unique sauce that some people have tried to copy but none have achieved. With this product, Espinaler has become an icon around Catalonia.

92 ml or 750ml (that's the size of a wine bottle, you probably don't want this size until you've gone through a couple of the small ones).