Island Creek x Mariscadora Mussels in Pickled Sauce

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Style: One Tin

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Where it's from: Galicia, Spain

Producer: Costas y Miñan

These mussels taste as if they were just plucked from the ocean and are perfect straight out of the tin. They have a beautifully delicate texture and are coated in a light vinegar sauce.

What's Inside?

Ingredients: Mussels, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, spices

What you get: One 3.9oz (110g) tin

Why We Love It

These mussels were grown on floating rafts using rope culture before being harvested by mariscadoras. Shellfishing in Galicia is highly restricted, so licenses are often passed down through generations, often staying within families. We've chosen to source the highest quality grade of shellfish for this Mariscadora line. Harvesting and canning production are entirely dictated by the seasons and the health of the shellfish stocks, meaning that no two years will look exactly alike. For example, if it's an off-year for cockles, Costas y Miñan will cap production and produce fewer tins. They refuse to supplement from fisheries in farther flung waters to fill their coffers, ultimately leaving money on the table. This is what sourcing from a single origin truly means, and is why these products are so special.

How To Eat It

Do as the Spaniards have done for hundreds of years - open the tin, open your mouth, and just eat it gurl. Or, use to make a fancy bruschetta with lemon aioli and fresh chilis.

About Island Creek x Mariscadora

Like the start of any good story, Mariscadora begins with an accountant and a fisherman. Founders Angel Costas and Floriano Miñan first met at a now defunct cannery where Costas ran the books as an accountant, and Miñan applied his lifelong knowledge of local seafood as the cannery's purchaser. In 1966, sensing that bankruptcy was on the horizon for their employer, Costas and Miñan decided to jump ship and start their own factory. Mariscadora is the inhouse line of tinned seafood for the cannery.

The ocean has shaped the culture, cuisine, and economy of Galicia for centuries. Nicknamed "the land of a thousand rivers", Galicia is studded with bays and inlets which are fed "rias" [aka estuaries). It's this magical brew of the fresh and salt water that makes Galicia one of the most prolific shellfishing regions in the world.

⚠ Prop 65 Warning

Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

TINNED FISH FAQ

How do I eat/serve tinned fish?

Ideally, you can just eat it straight out of the tin—so long as you're buying high quality products (but that's why you're here, isn't it?). For a simple preparation, you can put it toasted sourdough bread or crackers, with a little mustard and pickled vegetables for some balanced acidity.

There are many ways to enjoy this beautiful tradition, if you're looking for recipe inspiration check out this link for some ideas!

How long will it last once I buy it?

Tinned fish lasts a very long time. We generally say it's best to consume the product by the "Best used by" date printed on the tin for best results, however people have been aging tins for generations. These products are completely shelf-stable and should last at least 3-5 years un-opened!

Why is tinned seafood more "sustainable"?

While not unequivocal, there are definitely environmental benefits to tinned seafood. A few reasons include: Increased traceability, shelf-stable, zero food waste, recyclable materials, and lower-footprint supply chains.

Why is an oyster farm selling tinned fish?

Tinning fish is a time-honored way of preserving seafood at peak freshness that has sustained families for generations; not only on the dinner table, but by providing a stable income to small coastal communities around Europe. At one time, tinned fish was even served to inmates in local prisons and was the main protein source for lower income families along remote coastlines. This history is reminiscent of the popularity of oysters here in the United States during the 19th century, when the abundance of wild oysters gave economic stability and affordable protein to working class families for decades until oyster stocks were depleted.

As an oyster farm, we’re diehard evangelists of the benefits of responsible ocean farming. We see aquaculture as an integral part of our future global food system. With the ability to grow shellfish, we reduce the dependency on wild stocks, decrease the excess of nitrogen in our oceans, and create meaningful jobs in coastal communities. Everybody wins.