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Inside Market Hall

From the Seas of Spain

25 August 2010

In researching this weeks' newsletter, we stumbled upon a piece in the New York Times from August 1997 - "Canned Tuna: In Search of Flavor and Texture". This rather exhaustive piece chronicled the rise in popularity of canned tuna in the US while searching for the best among 14 possible choices...the winner? Progresso.

A lot has changed in the 14 years since that article was published (incidentally, Progresso tuna placed dead-last in a recent Epicurious.com tasting). The market has been inundated with imported tuna from Spain, Italy and even Costa Rica. We can imagine that a tasting of canned tuna today might run on for days with dozens of entrants. 

But all the while, we've stuck with our pick for Top Tuna.  Sure, we taste the competition - we line up our pick side-by-side with the newest kid on the block.  But each and every time, the tuna from Conservas Ortiz comes out on top.

Line-caught by fisherman...

The seafood business is a very complex one - things are constantly changing and what was once safe can soon become endangered. While the white tuna (albacore), or bonito del norte, is not as plentiful as it once was, it is still labeled "Eco-OK" by the Environmental Defense Fund.   

And you can rest assured that the tuna inside the classic yellow tin from Ortiz is the most-responsibly caught tuna you can buy. Because Ortiz doesn't use long-lines, but rather a method called "trolling", by catch is minimal. This is the method of tuna fishing supported by the Seafood Watch Program of Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The fisherman use actual fishing poles, rigged with live bait that they catch and raise to maturity in nurseries. The fisherman line up along the shoals of tuna and use hoses to draw the fish near the surface. Once caught, the fish are cleaned and packed with Spanish olive oil.  No more, no less.

This simplicity ensures that what you get is the cleanest tasting tuna available.
Click here to read more on their fishing practices.

Buy 5, get 1 Free!

Would you believe us if we told you we once took an  order for 96 tins of Ortiz Tuna? A very good customer found that they were ordering a dozen tins of tuna every few weeks. So rather than pay shipping every month, they took advantage of our free shipping on orders over $250 and loaded their cupboard! 

With this weeks' special, you could do even better...

Buy 5 tins of any of our Conservas Ortiz Tuna and a 6th will be added to your cart at no cost.

Order 10 and you'll get 2 free...order 25 and you'll get 5 free! See where we're going here?

Order the 4 ounce oval tin, the 8.8 ounce round tin or the Ventresca now!

NEW! 2009 Antara Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Looking for a fantastic Spanish olive oil that won't break the bank? How about a nutty, bold olive oil with a rich flavor for about $15.00? Maybe it's an oil made from the finnicky Arbequina olive you seek?

Well, we've got you covered on all three counts with the 2009 harvest of Antara extra virgin olive oil from Coselva in Catalonia. They press oil from a mix of olives grown on flat lands and olives from the mountains - the more ripe olives from the higher elevation give the oil a piquant quality, while the lower altitude olives provide the backbone of flavor.

Drizzle this over a piquillo pepper that's been stuffed with tuna, capers and parsley. Try it over an ice-cold gazpacho. Or better yet...

Gambas Al Ajillo (Shrimp with Garlic and Olive Oil)

  • 1.25 lb large shrimp (head-on is best and authentic, but we won't tell if you peel them)
  • 6 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp - 2 TBS of Peperoncino Franto (depending on how hot you like it)
  • 1/3 cup Antara Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Lots of sliced bread

Over a medium flame, heat oil in large sauté pan. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook about 45 seconds, taking care not to burn the garlic. Turn heat to high, add shrimp and shake the pan. Season with salt and continue to cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked, about 2 - 4 minutes. Serve with the oil and bread for dipping.
This offer is available online at MarketHallFoods.com now.  Simply add 5 of any Ortiz Tuna to your cart and a 6th will be added to your cart automatically.

For those shoppers in the Bay Area, both locations of The Pasta Shop are offering $3.00 off on the Ventresca and $1.50 off on the Oval tin of Ortiz.  This offer is available through August 31st.