Tinned Fish Club for April 2026: Porthos Spiced Sardines, Olasagasti Anchovies, Ati Manel Mackerel Pate
Porthos Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil
Founded in Matosinhos in 1912, Porthos is the oldest brand from Conservas Portugal Norte, a century-old cannery rooted in one of Portugal’s great fishing ports. The brand’s iconic mascot is a swaggering musketeer, almost certainly a nod to Porthos from Alexandre Dumas’s classic novel “The Three Musketeers,” whose feathered hat and sly grin are part of the tin’s vintage charm.
That flair feels fitting for a brand built to travel. Porthos has long reached far beyond Portugal’s shores, even inspiring an exclusive brand store in Macau. Inside the tin are classic Portuguese sardines, prepared with care using fresh, high-quality ingredients sourced from local producers.
Dirty Martini Sardine Bean Salad
We recently kept seeing dirty martini bean salads online and thought, naturally, they could only be improved with spiced sardines. Toss cannellini beans and chickpeas with chopped green olives, a splash of olive brine, finely diced celery, shallot, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. Gently fold in the sardines, along with a little of the spiced oil from the tin. Finish with cracked black pepper and a few extra olives on top. Briny, punchy, and perfect for spring.
Olasagasti Anchovies a la Basque
Olasagasti’s story begins in 1923, when Salvatore Orlando brought Sicilian preserving know-how to Spain’s Basque coast and opened anchovy factories in Getaria and Ondarroa. That meeting of Italian craft and Basque fishing tradition still defines the brand today.
Sourced from the Cantabrian Sea, a stretch of the Bay of Biscay famous for its prized anchovies, these fish are prepared a la Basque, or San Sebastián style, with olive oil, garlic, cayenne, and a touch of wine vinegar. The result is richer, warmer, and more full-bodied than your typical anchovy fillet, with just enough heat and tang to feel right at home in a seaside pintxo bar.
Basque Anchovy Deviled Eggs
Hard boil 6 eggs, let cool, then peel and halve. Mash the yolks with 2 tablespoons mayo, 1 teaspoon Dijon, and a small squeeze of lemon juice until smooth. Spoon or pipe the filling back into the whites, then top each with a piece of anchovy and a tiny bit of the garlic- and cayenne-spiced oil from the tin. Finish with chopped parsley and a light dusting of smoked paprika. Salty, creamy, and perfect with a cold drink.
Ati Manel Spiced Smoked Mackerel Pâté
Founded in 1922, Ati Manel was revived decades later by the founder’s great-grandson using old family recipes and design archives. That blend of history and reinvention gives the brand its charm. This smoked, spiced mackerel pâté is smooth and savory, with olive oil, tomato, vinegar, and gentle smoke adding depth to the fish’s rich flavor. It may also be one of our favorite tins of the month.
A curled green mackerel reaches for a bright red chili pepper on this bright yellow box, neatly hinting at the smoky, spicy pâté inside. Bold, playful, and beautifully designed, it has the kind of vintage charm that makes Ati Manel so easy to love.
Mackerel Pâté Cucumber Bites
Slice a cucumber into thick rounds and top each with a small spoonful of pâté. Finish with chopped chives or dill, lemon zest, and black pepper. Serve with your healthy chips for scooping up any extra pâté, or add right on top for a crunchy, smoky snack.
The world's best tinned fish, on your table every month.
Three curated tins from small canneries in Portugal, Spain, Denmark and beyond, with the recipes and maker stories that go with them.
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