I have a thing for tinned fishes — tuna, sardines, anchovies, smoked herring, etc. — love ’em all.

I don’t typically endorse specific products. But once in a while,when I find something that really stands out, I like to give a little shout out.

Canned Bonito del Norte tuna from the fourth-generation Ortiz family is a favorite of mine. Ortiz’s fish are all line-caught (a sustainable fishing practice; not-netted, which means they don’t catch other fish and sea life in the process ), hand filleted at sea, and quickly tinned in good quality extra virgin olive oil.  A bit of a splurge as far as canned fish goes, but money decidedly well spent.

Another favorite tuna is from Bela (you might be familiar with their delicious Portuguese sardines). They make a jarred skip jack tuna (a smaller species of tuna) in organic extra-virgin olive oil with (and without) piri piri chilies (hot little African bird’s eye chilies). Their tuna is also line-and-pole caught.  It’s also a bit of a splurge, but it’s really good quality and fantastic tasting tuna. These are not your typical canned tuna.

If you can’t find either one of these brand, substitute with the best quality canned tuna you can find.

This is a simple little salad that I like to throw together using canned tuna. Mince up a substantial amount of garlic, at least 5 to 6 cloves.  This may sound like a lot of garlic, but I let it simmer in olive oil, under very low heat, along with lots of chopped parsley, capers, and smoked paprika, until the garlic gets nice and tender and sweet and loses its sharp bite.  Then, I toss the warm dressing with cooked white beans and flaked tuna, along with roasted fennel, and finish it with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and capers. It’s something you can whip up quickly (just cook your beans in advance).

Definitely not your ordinary tuna salad.  The capers contribute a really nice salty, briny component.  Roasting the fennel brings out its inherent sweetness and licorice undertones.  A bit of hot smoked paprika, for a tinge of smokiness, lots of freshly chopped parsley (adds a nice herbaceous note), and a refreshing squeeze of citrus (lemon) to tie it all together — all and all, a kicked up version of your everyday tuna salad.

I do a similar rendition with canned sardines and linguine (in lieu of the white beans) with the same dressing.  Quite delish…for my fellow sardine lovers out there.

The dressing = extra-virgin olive oil, a good amount of garlic, parsley, capers, hot smoked paprika, and salt and pepper.