I had read you could sometimes find sardines at Home Goods stores. These El Raño Wild Caught Sardines with Lemon Essence would be my third such find there. The store has a "gourmet foods" aisle, and it's typically crammed full with a hodgepodge of jarred sauces, olive oils, snacks, condiments and sundry other such items.
You really have to stoop and dig sometimes, as none of it is what you'd call "merchandised". And you kind of have to watch the pricing, too. Sometimes their marked-down price is slightly above that which you can find elsewhere, if you know where to look.
This happened to be a promotional package that included a ceramic serving dish. The boxed tin was nestled in the dish, and all was slipped into a cardboard sleeve. A dot of glue kept things from sliding apart, but it also damaged the carton upon opening. I tried to find an image of an identical carton, but to no avail. It seems like many canneries change their packaging more often than their underwear. So, I did a little quick cut-and-paste photo fixing.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.
Not very pretty. It's three quite large pilchards (allegedly) crammed into the deep can. I see spine and bones protruding from one, and there are quite a number of scales. And at least one set of pelvic fins. A far cry from the pretty, silver-bellied specimens found in better tins.
There is an initial subtle aroma of lemon which quickly dissipates. There is no fishy aroma to be detected. A sip of the oil takes a moment to echo the lemon flavor.
Here We Go
Getting the first one out was difficult, and it had to be broken up to extract it. The large spine, as well as some residual entrails I'm not used to dealing with, I found to be a distraction. I scraped off some more scales and resumed my assessment.
There was a tablespoon or more of oil (listed only as vegetable oil) left in the can. I poured most of it over everything in hopes of maximizing any experience of lemon flavor.
I noted the meat was not dry, but it flaked in a way I'm not used to with sardines. Its texture was a bit like some other kind of fish (tilapia?). Another distraction. But I soldiered on.
The heat of the rice did let the lemon flavor bloom a bit, and I found at least that part of things pleasant. There was no actual lemon in the can, so "natural lemon flavor" is all I have to go on. The salt balance was OK, neither too high nor too low.
Main Takeaways
- Large fish, with odd texture
- Too much in the way of scales and other unpleasantries
- Distractions interfered with enjoyment
I had higher hopes for these. The El Raño label is under the umbrella of Conservas Artesanas Gallegas, which also produces La Narval and Maruxaina. But it appears to be their "value" brand.
Here's a view of the full package and the serving dish.
The cost was $8, with the store tag saying "compare at $10". The dish is nothing special. But for cheap, who cares? If it had been $8 for just the tin of fish, however, I wouldn't have considered it a bargain.
Amazon sells a double-pack of a small sardines version of these at a tempting price, but I am ambivalent about risking the $12 for two smallish cans only to be potentially disappointed again.
Brand: Conservas Artesanas Gallegas / El Raño
Description: Wild caught sardines with lemon essence
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $10