My name is Harrison Weinfeld a.k.a. The Sardinfluencer. I’m a cook, a writer, lover of puns, and a tinned-fish fanatic who’s thrilled to share with you the joy of conserva.
A native New Englander, I grew up on live Maine lobster and meaty quahogs hauled in from the waters of Narragansett Bay. As a young line cook in Massachusetts (and later Los Angeles), I was taught that fresh, quality seafood was the backbone of any menu and that preserved foods, no matter their caliber, were shrimply ‘lesser than.’
And then, at 20, while studying Marine Fishery Management, I had the rare privilege of participating in the Bristol Bay salmon harvest. As a greenhorn deckhand and galley cook, I helped our small but scrappy crew reel in 160,000 lbs of sockeye, coho, pink, and of course, the mighty chinook salmon. To my surprise, about half of our haul headed straight to the cannery where it was lovingly processed into puck-sized portions to be shared around the world.
Me as a very serious 20-year-old greenhorn, hoisting two chinook salmon while fishing on the Bering Sea, 2007
This experience showed me that quality, preserved fish were nothing like the mushy sardines I learned to fear as a child. I quickly found that beneath these beautiful lids lurked ingredients as divinely delicate as they were delicious; small fishes and seafood that not only matched the caliber of their fresh counterparts, but whose characteristics actually enhanced the flavor of my dishes.
I welcome you to recreate some of my original recipes, but most of all, I invite you to join me on this delicious journey into the wonderful world of conserva.
Each of the tins I use in my dishes would sit just as finely on your evening seacuterie board or piled high on toast, with a smattering of marmalade like my Pop-Pop used to make.
However you care to enjoy them, it is my true hope you share these briny beauties with the people you love.
Tincerely,
- Harrison