Description
José Gourmet of Lisbon combs the coasts of Portugal and Spain to find seafood of distinction. They believe in the principles of fair trade, often paying in advance and never negotiating for better pricing. The artwork of Luis Mendonça on the packaging is meant to pay homage to the these fishermen and canneries who rely on manpower and life long dedication to their trade.
Store at ambient temperature. If not completely consumed, store in sealed container and put in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Ingredients: Calamari (63%) (Loligo vulgaris), Vegetable Oil (19%), Onion (8%), Rice (4%), Tomato (4%), Spices (Red Pepper, Cloves, Laurel) (1,5%), Salt.
The terms “spiced” and “spicy” are used pretty much interchangeably in the tinned fish world, to mean two different things: with a hot pepper (or hot pepper flavor), and with cloves/bay/carrot/hot pepper. There are many examples of both terms being used to mean both things.
We are so frustrated by how widespread this confusing inconsistent usage is that we’ve gone through our entire product line to correct the incorrect ones such that our description of “spiced” or “spicy” will always indicate which it really is, regardless of the packaging. “Spicy” = with hot pepper flavor. “Spiced” = with the cloves/bay/carrot/hot pepper flavors.
Erin Zieske (verified owner) –
My tinned fish gang(? club? church?) tried this tin during our last dinner and it was the standout HIT of the night. Every single one of us vowed to get it again and again. Do not thing twice on this one — it’s a banger!
Justin Charity (verified owner) –
nicely packed, vividly spiced, and quite hearty. one of those tins that’s taking a great deal of restraint for me not to stockpile sparing no expense. bloody brilliant.
Sandra Dixon (verified owner) –
This is my favorite tin so far. I love it warmed over white rice with a sprinkle of furikake on top. I make sure to add it to every order.
isabelastephens (verified owner) –
I got this to enjoy as a birthday treat and it knocked my socks off!! I heat it up and added a touch of lemon for some acidity and it was delicious, the texture of the squid was perfect, not too chewy but not too soft and held the rice perfectly. The sauce was so savory and flavorful and paired so well with the squid! What a wonderful treat
Irina (verified owner) –
My tin had three pieces of calamari that appear to be stuffed with additional squid, in a beautiful red sauce with oil. They were fantastic served warm over rice! The ragout sauce was rich and umami, very well-spiced without being spicy. The calamari itself had a savory flavor that wasn’t fishy at all, and I expect that even people who aren’t huge fans of tinned seafood would be able to enjoy this. They had a surprisingly soft texture without being mushy, and were not rubbery at all. If you’re willing to spend a little extra and are curious about expanding outside of tinned fish, I think this could be a great tin to try!
Mike Turpie (verified owner) –
I heated the contents of the tin in a small skillet and toasted some excellent bread. Sliced the squid and loaded onto the toast with the sauce. The stuffing is minced, unlike the stuffed squid in olive oil tins I’ve had. I think it works well with the sauce. A delicious preparation. The sauce is delicate, complex and not overly tomatoey. Definitely want to heat this one. The art on the box is half the fun. Cutting it out for a cookbook bookmark. One of my favorite squid tins!
Joseph Egan (verified owner) –
To anyone who has not tried tinned squid before and is looking to, definitely try these over others in ink because the sauce is amazing, so even if you don’t enjoy the squid themselves it will be an enjoyable eat.
Fresh squid would be accurately described as chewy or rubbery, and they are in a tin too, but not in the same way. I love the idea of tinned squid but there’s just something off-putting about every tinned squid I’ve had. The texture is the intersection of rubbery and mushy which I just can’t get over.
Derrek Chu (verified owner) –
This is an exceptional tin! While most cans of tinned squid either come in ink or olive oil, Jose Gourmet really ups the ante with their ragout sauce. There’s a lot going on flavor-wise–I wouldn’t say any one component dominates, but rather it is a complex medley of all of its components (tomatoes, cloves, onions, etc.). The actual calamari are plump, juicy, and with a bit of chew, but not rubbery–no complaints at all!
I would highly suggest heating this tin and serving it over an appropriate vehicle for the sauce (white rice, pasta, or mopped up with a country loaf). It’s pretty much a meal-in-a-can with everything that it has going on, and is especially satisfying with a glass of wine!
Doug Westney (verified owner) –
Received this tin today and ate it right away. It reminded me of a Portuguese stew that I had in Provincetown many years ago. The squid in this tin has a nice texture, firm, not rubbery. The sauce is the real star.