(intense music)
♪ You know we bring the noise ♪
- What the (bleep) is going on?
(crowd cheering)
- Woo-hoo!
- Ebbers! Ebbers!
- Ooh!
- No, Jamie!
(Sorted Food laughing)
♪ You know we bring the noise ♪
(intense music)
- Welcome, everybody!
It's Friday, and today we are looking at tinned seafood.
Feeling fishy?
- You know I like tinned fish.
(Barry chuckles)
- This is gonna be fun.
I adore tinned fish from all around the world,
but I don't know much about it, if I'm being honest.
- Well, that's why we got the cards.
- Should we get started?
- I mean, I kind of know what I'm expecting.
- Yeah, it's-
- [Ben] A tin!
- But with no packaging whatsoever,
so it's a surprise tin.
- Get the first sniff. - Ooh!
Okay, okay.
It's olive oil, it's not ridiculously fishy.
- It's tomato-y, right?
Oh. - Oh!
- Now we're talkin'! - Yeah!
Did not expect that!
- Tinned mussels in what appear to be...
A spiced oil.
- I've never opened a seafood tin
and had something that good looking.
Look how perfectly laid they are.
- [Ben] I was gonna say that.
Presentation is everything.
- My association with tinned fish is like,
with your tunas and your salmons,
is you're never gonna get stuff that looks amazing.
It's gonna get mixed into a salad and hidden away.
- And that's because most tinned fish is for cats.
(record scratches)
However...
That is just a perception.
No, tinned fish is like a cat food, isn't it?
- [Barry] Uh...
- Tinned fish can have a cat food vibe to it.
- [Barry] I understand what you mean.
- But that's only 'cause we're buying the cheap NAF stuff.
Like, tinned fish can be super premium.
Cheers.
Mm.
Mhm.
I'm instantly transported back to being a child.
(Barry chuckles)
- I'm there with you for some reason.
(Barry laughs)
- We've known each other a long time, but not that long.
- Exactly the same as he is now.
- But takes me back to west coast, or south of France,
where every time you sit at the table,
you get a little tin of fish pate.
- Yeah, okay.
- And sometimes it was mussel pate.
- They're tasty enough to be having on their own
with a bit of bread.
Not hidden into a salad or something else.
It does need a beer.
- A nice, cold beer.
- That is spectacular.
- That was a win. What are they, Barry?
- Oh, okay.
Well, let me get one more in my mouth first
before I tell you about them.
- You need as many mussels as you can get.
- That was unnecessary.
I've been working out.
I've been trying.
- Have you?
- I know.
- Different texture from normal.
They've kind of like got a bit more chalky.
- When we think of fish, we think,
fresh fish, don't overcook them.
Obviously, stuff in a tin has been heat treated,
and I think it kind of slightly overcooks them,
but in a way that is almost
a completely different experience,
especially when it's submerged in oil.
- These are Ramón Peña spicy mussels
with garlic and chilli pepper.
"Mussels of chilli and garlic from Ramón Peña
in Galicia, Spain.
Harvested sustainably in the sea life rich
Galician estuaries."
- Excellent.
So, Spanish. - Okay.
What's this word?
The canary?
The cannery? - The cannery.
- The cannery. Cannery.
I thought...
I don't know. I read that as canary,
thought it was bird related.
- Sea birds.
(Barry laughs)
- "The cannery uses seasonal produce and artisanal methods
forever being tweaked thanks to an onsite laboratory.
Mussels from this region
are said to be plump, tender and packed with flavour."
They are.
"The marinade not only enhances the flavour,
but also helps to preserve the mussels,
allowing them to be enjoyed
even outside of the fresh mussel season."
Which is vital.
What is the process then for canning these?
- The heat treaters, they're sealed into the can.
- But they've been taken out their shells.
So they've been cooked in their shells, then taken out,
and then put into here, into the oil, and then preserved.
- Yeah.
- Interestingly...
I'm not sure we think about mussels as having a season,
but that's just because in the UK,
we get them all year round
but from different places depending on the season.
- Oh yeah, of course.
And I'm always amazed how cheap mussels are.
- In season.
So January, February, March, like UK-Scottish mussels...
- Yeah?
- Super cheap.
- The oil itself is-
- Delicious.
- Just for dipping your bread in, spectacular.
"These spicy mussels of garlic
would be great added to a stir fry.
On crackers."
Yes.
"With cream cheese."
Yes.
"Or good with other shellfish and sardines
on a tinned fish board with buttered sourdough."
- Mhm.
- Like, the simpler the better,
'cause they are that delicious.
The fact you could just crack open a tin,
and just leave it and serve it in that,
is wonderful.
- Well...
If this was on a different platform, Baz,
we might be on a TikTok tinned fish date night.
- That is not a thing.
- You've seen those trends, right?
- [Barry] No!
We have different algorithms.
- You're not looking at tinned fish on TikTok?
- No!
- They're very yummy.
- They're delicious.
- One, two, three, four, five, six ingredients.
All of which I recognise.
Screams premium.
- This is premium, at 5.80 a tin.
Which, for food that good,
I don't think is that expensive.
- I'm not sure.
No, that's a lie.
I could demolish an entire tin.
I was gonna say, I'm not-
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely.
- If you split that two ways to share,
that's super affordable for quality shellfish.
- Yeah.
- Ebbers, we need to leave a review for this.
- Uh oh.
- I know.
- "Don't overthink it.
With a can-do attitude, these are the ones for you."
- Right.
These are all gonna be canned ones from now on,
so you might've used the best one already.
Great.
It'll do!
(Barry laughs)
- [Presenter] If you're enjoying this,
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Thanks.
- Tin number two.
Still a tin.
- Oh, a different shaped tin.
- Rectagonal
- All right. Crack it open.
(upbeat music)
Ooh!
Slightly less appetising.
What is it?
- Interesting.
So yeah, you're right.
- It doesn't look very fishy.
- [Ben] No, it looks like it could almost be more meaty.
- [Barry] What were you saying about cat food?
- Yeah.
(Barry laughs)
- Is it pate or is it a fillet?
Oh, it's pate.
- [Ben] Hang on, I've got an idea.
- Is that a fillet or something,
or has that been pate'd?
It's a bit cat food-y on the nose as well.
- Yeah.
- I'm still not sure if that's a fillet or a pate.
- Or just cat food.
Because what they've done is given it to us
in a non-disclosed tin,
and they might well be pulling our fin.
(upbeat music)
They're quite nice.
- Oh!
It actually is quite nice.
It's not flaky at all.
It's almost jellified.
- Yeah.
That is quite different.
Almost offal-ly.
- Oh, you think...
Could it be liver?
- I don't know.
(Barry laughs)
I'm gonna be honest.
- I've never had one that has no fishy texture whatsoever.
But you're right.
It does have a liver texture, but not a liver taste.
- "This is a staple of Japanese cuisine.
Delicate and packed with goodness."
- [Barry] Yup.
- It's monkfish liver.
"Try it on toast with a squeeze of lemon, chopped parsley,
or just with salad leaves and chopped tomatoes."
So we're right.
- Wow. - It's liver.
- It's liver-y in its texture,
but not like any mammal liver.
- No, it's a fish, Baz.
- I know, I'm just saying. (audience laughs)
Thanks, Ben, for stating the (bleeping) obvious.
But when people think of liver,
they think of mammal livers,
and they think of very iron-y.
- Yep.
- People are off put by it very quickly.
That is nothing like it.
Nothing like it.
- What I love, and this is always testament
to Japanese cuisine,
is the whole nose-to-tail, in this case, nose-to-fin...
- Mm! - Eating.
And actually, the offal is great.
Super good for you.
So generally, it maintains its prized attributes,
i.e. rich buttery flavour and a creamy texture.
As a result, it's a very sought off delicacy.
I've never had tinned monkfish liver.
It's kind of unusual.
It's very funky when you open it,
but it's actually delicious.
- It has almost a mousse-y tuna kind of finish to it.
- "What about if it was spread on bread?"
- Yes.
- "Stirred through pasta dishes."
- Oh, yeah, that'll work.
- "Or even used as a filling for sushi or on sushi rolls."
- Well...
Is it like mammal offal where it's the cheaper cuts,
or because it's from a fish, is it more premium?
Like, caviar and so on, you'd pay a premium for,
but that's not quite as pretty as caviar, is it?
- I think because it's a sought after after delicacy,
it drives a premium.
Probably more so than the offal we imagine.
But if you flip it around, to bird liver,
and we think of foie gras.
- Yeah, yeah.
- Or chicken liver pates and parfaits.
- Yeah, of course.
- Yes, you're adding in lots of extra butter
and booze and seasoning.
- Yeah.
- And I don't know how much has been added to that,
or whether that is just a liver.
- It looks pretty liver-ish.
- Three ingredients.
It's got half the number of ingredients as the last one.
It's just monkfish liver, water and salt.
The slight oil slick you're getting on top of that-
- [Barry] Is that fat of the liver?
- Is obviously coming from the liver.
How much for the tin, do you reckon?
- [Barry] Fiver?
- [Ben] Yeah, 5.80.
Same as the last tin.
- I wouldn't be against getting a tin of that,
for a tinned date night,
which my wife's gonna go crazy over.
- I'm sure she would.
(Barry laughs)
- I never thought I'd like it,
but I like monkfish liver.
I've got a review for you.
- Go on then.
- [Barry] "This monkfish really delivers the liver."
- In a sliver.
(upbeat music)
Jamie, tell them about it.
- Two full days of livestreamed fun
from a house in the countryside.
There's gonna be "Pass It On Kid's Takeover",
"Pass It On, On Fire", "The Olympic-nic Games",
"Janice's Late Night Pub Trivia Quiz",
"Poker Face Extreme" by the pool,
"Quiz Cup Brain Freeze",
Kush skinny dipping, Kush being a science man,
Ben doing a recipe rumble with Jan.
Ben cooking up momos.
James Curry doing a sub-10 minute burger challenge!
Mike Huttlestone doing a sub-10 minute burger challenge!
Barry and I reviewing crazy things
that you've sent us in the mail.
I think that might be everything.
- The time is running out!
You can get your tickets right now.
Just scan the QR code, all the links are downstairs.
You do not want to miss this chaos.
- [Jamie] You can watch the madness unfold live,
or on demand at a time that suits you
for up to 30 days after the event.
- Tin number three.
It's round.
What do we reckon?
- It looks like a premium oil.
Oh my.
Wow, all right.
Wasn't expecting that.
Doesn't look great, but the smell straight away,
I'm getting tomato.
- [Ben] Yeah, and I think I can see tomato seeds,
I can see onion.
Can't identify the fish yet.
- This isn't just fish.
There's more going on here.
- Oh.
Oh, no, stop.
There's a big chunk of fish there.
- Slightly jellified on top.
Possibly, which would be really weird, battered.
- No!
You think it's- - Or fried.
(Barry gasps)
- You might be right.
You think it's flour?
- This thing looks soggy.
- It used to be crusty?
I'll tell you what I'm happy about though...
These haven't got heads on.
- No, but they have still got the spine in.
- Yummy.
- Because they're such small bones,
the canning process softens it,
to the point where you can eat it.
So it calcifies it, which is where...
Calcifies it?
It softens it, so you can eat it.
High in calcium.
- I'm gonna use calcify.
Makes me sound smart.
(upbeat music)
Oh my. Wow.
Beautifully fragrant.
- [Ben] Lots of-
- [Barry] Not too fishy, quite onion-y.
- Oily.
The tomato-y onion-y freshness, for a tinned fish,
is quite fresh, because of that tomato and onion
sauce around it.
Am I right in saying it has been battered?
- [Barry] I know what you mean.
There is a a fuzzy outside of it,
which could have been crispy one day.
- [Ben] It's very nice.
- These are Ramón Peña stewed...
Oh god, what's this word?
Xoubas? X-ouba?
Xoubas.
Xoubas, X-ouba, Excaliber.
X-ouba, Xoubas.
- Xoubas.
- Xoubas sardines.
"Xoubas, or small sardines, flour battered,
and packed in a tomato, onion and pepper sauce.
Fished in the Galician estuaries..."
Same as the mussels.
"An area of the Canter-Brian..."
- Cantabrian.
(Barry chuckles)
- Canter-Brian I prefer.
"Rich with sea life.
These are a must for this tinned sardine fan.
Suitable sides for them include,
fluffy rice with herbs stirred through,
or on toast with a sauce drizzled over."
So you're right.
They are battered.
- We so expect flour battered tempura or otherwise
dishes to be crispy and golden.
- Because I've always assumed you flour, batter something,
to protect the fish when cooking.
But here, has the fish been protected,
and now it's just sitting in that oil,
and it's another substance to absorb the flavour of oil?
- Yeah.
Which is absolutely delicious.
You have got the tartness of tomato,
the sweetness of cooked onion and pepper.
It's one of my favourites so far.
Try the backbone.
- No on its own! Just feels weird.
- Yeah, try it.
I think this is where some people
are put off by tinned fish,
'cause you have to eat all the bones as well,
but it's not like chewing through bones-
- Not at all.
- And that's why they're such a nutritious, delicious dish.
- Definitely premium again.
These are 6.90 a tin.
So the most expensive so far.
- [Ben] They've also gone through a fair bit of processing.
- [Barry] Yeah.
- I do think we're missing a trick here.
I think all of our TikTok tinned fish date nights
should accompany-
- It's not a thing.
- A crisp wine or beer.
- Next time.
If you're lucky, you'll have another date,
and I'll get you some wine.
- Date two, we'll have a bottle of wine.
(Barry laughs)
- Oh no!
We need a review for this, Ebbers.
- [Ben] "We haven't got any wine,
it turns out you don't have to be battered to love these."
- Oh, he's back!
- Tin number four.
- Tin number four, let's go.
Navarga natural...
Salvora.
- Salvora.
- Any clues?
- I only guess it's Spanish again.
- That looks briny to me.
That looks...
Interesting.
What are they bloody called? I know this.
- Do you know this? - I know this.
- [Ben] I've don't think I've ever seen them in a tin.
Or, never had them in a tin.
I knew they came in tins.
I've never had them in a tin.
- Oh, wow!
- You know what they are. Come on.
- These are the things that you see people on the beach,
putting salt on the beach.
- I understand.
- And they come up.
- I understand why you're struggling,
'cause you never bother, whereas I use 'em daily.
- Oh no, what?
What are you doing?
It can't be mussels.
What? Come on.
Oh, razor clams!
- Razor clams.
That's why it's not front of mind for you.
I used a razor this morning, every morning.
- Razor clams, that's what they are.
Okay!
I've never had a razor clam before.
I've seen them...
I know. - Not even fresh?
- Not even fresh. (Ben gasps)
- I absolutely love razor clams.
However, a bit like the violin...
All right? Bear with me.
- Uh, all right, I've got no choice to.
- Can be the most beautiful instrument in the world.
- Oh no!
- However, when it's played badly, categorically the worst.
I would say razor clams are the same.
If they're not prepared properly,
and they're sandy and they're gritty,
they are terrible.
But prepared properly, one of my favourites.
- How do you eat them?
- Oh, I've just been munching on it.
- All of it? - Yup.
(upbeat music)
- Okay.
Wow, super sweet.
- Sweeter I would say than a mussel,
but also, it sounds weird to say this,
more muscly than a mussel?
- Yeah, it's tender. More tender.
- Oh, I wasn't talking about muscle muscle,
I was talking about bivalves.
- Oh, okay.
- As in, the briny, meaty, sweet...
(Barry chuckles)
- Tastes like the beach.
- It tastes like you've just fallen off your surfboard
and you took a mouthful.
It's a little bit of that.
- Yeah.
It's a lot sweeter than I expected, in a weird way,
but they look quite vegetal.
- Like a radish?
- Yeah, therefore I was expecting it to be fresher, cleaner.
But actually, it's a lot more animal-y than vegetable-y.
(Barry chuckles)
- Yes.
Eat this end.
'Cause this end's different. - I'm scared of that bit.
- This end's different.
- Yeah, but look, it looks a bit...
(Barry gurgles)
Ugh, Ebbers...
(Ben gurgles)
That's where you get more of the mussel-y bit.
As in, the taste of mussel...
Elevated.
- Squiggly and weird, but delicious.
- We're spot on, they are razor clams,
they are premium, and they are Spanish.
Espinaler.
So, tinned razor clams from Spain.
"A stunning texture and flavour."
Would agree.
"Espinaler's premium range razor clams
are fished when they're at their best."
In Spanish...
"They're long, slender shellfish with a distinctive shape
resembling a straight razor.
Prized for their sweet, tender meat with delicate flavour,
reminiscent of the sea."
So tasting notes, I think we nailed.
- [Barry] Even that, I'm not scared of.
If it was fresh, I would be a little bit nervous of-
- Even in the hot weather.
You know, you could be in northern Spain
with a tin of that in your pocket.
And you're not thinking...
"We need to get home
because I've got razor clams in the bag,
and they've been out of the fridge for a while."
- I'd be more worried about,
"Who's this bloke I'm hanging out with
with clams in his pocket?"
(Ben laughs)
Clammy pockets.
- Clammy pockets.
"Unlock date night with a clammy pocket."
- Oh!
(Barry laughs)
It's delicious.
- Sweet and tender...
(Barry gurgles)
With a taste of the sea.
- Oh!
(Barry laughs)
- Again, it does say premium on the box.
- Beautiful, beautiful.
- But it's lovely packaging, isn't it?
(Ben whistles)
- How much is a box?
- Ah, so we've jumped up a bit here.
These are 16.80 a tin.
So, depending on how many you get,
between five and seven, three pounds each.
- That is very, very pricey.
But it's an experience.
Of all the tins today, I don't have a favourite.
I actually loved them all.
- They're all very, very different.
- Yeah.
- The liver I think will divide more people,
but was yummy.
And I imagine spread on some buttered toast...
- The muscles I will use at home.
- Yeah, I'd go and buy a tin of it.
- Yeah, definitely, definitely.
This-
- These are expensive,
so it'd have to be a real treat or occasion.
- An experience.
- Comment down below! What do you think?
Which of those four tinned fish is your favourite?
- Also, let us know what other ingredients
we should be looking at next.
- I've really enjoyed this date.
- That was lovely.
Yeah. Should we do it again?
- Next Friday!
(Barry laughs)
(dramatic music)