A pantry fish feast

Seafood from a can doesn’t have to be survival fare

I’m an avid home cook, but preparing three meals a day can be taxing, to say the least. Food shopping becomes an ordeal, rather than a pleasure, and the mere thought of planning ahead may seem too much.

When I’m at a loss, wondering what to cook that is appealing and relatively easy, I scan the nonperishable items in my pantry and take a glance at the fridge and freezer. Often, I come across some forgotten treasure, making a trip to the store unnecessary.

As I rifled through the canned goods assortment recently, it occurred to me that a fish dinner was in the cards. It would not require a fishing pole or a visit to the fishmonger — just a can opener and a few other staple ingredients.

Seafood from a can doesn’t have to be survival fare: Superior preserved products are a delicacy. It’s worth the investment to pay a little more for highquality anchovies and Ventresca tuna, and a joy to find them lurking in the cupboard.

Among my bounty was a tin of anchovies, a jar of tuna fillets in oil and a couple of cans of baby clams. I also found a jar of Italian sun-dried tomatoes and a can of Spanish piquillo peppers. With a box of spaghetti, a bit of bacon and a bag of frozen peas, a stellar menu was coming together.

For a mouthwatering snack, there would be crostini, the endlessly variable Italian standby. This version would be simplicity itself: thin slices of toasted day-old baguette or ciabatta, rubbed with garlic, smeared with a dab of chopped sun-dried tomato and topped with a bit of anchovy.

I was so happy to find the piquillo peppers, bright red, roasted and peeled, ready to stuff. Every tapas bar in Spain serves them, sometimes with a filling of creamy salt cod or a slice of sheep’s milk cheese. But a clear favorite for many is a filling of seasoned, dressed tuna. They would be my first course.

Finally, for a main, I made a garlicky basil-parsley purée to toss with the clams and spaghetti, and kicked up the flavor with green chile, bacon and peas. The overall effect was bright and summery.