Absolute food authority Florence Fabricant gave Testa Conserve’s sgombro and sugarello sott’olio a wonderful write up in her Front Burner column in the New York Times. When legendary FloFab gives you the thumb up, you know you’re on the right track! What caught her attention? Perhaps it’s the fact that the Testa family controls their process from start to finish: they are both the fishermen and the packers of these sgombri and sugarelli! This is VERY rare in the world of preserved fish. Check out what Florence had to say about Testa Conserve, the new fish on the block:
New Quality Mackerel For Summer Salads
There’s some new competition for high-end tuna in jars. Two kinds of wild Sicilian mackerel – sgombro, or small mackerel, and sugarello horse mackerel fillets packed in extra virgin olive oil – are being imported. They’re both pale in color and mildly flavored. The sgombro has a softish texture; the sugarello is firmer and somewhat meatier. Your salade niçoise, summery pasta with chopped fresh tomatoes or antipasto of confit fish with white beans will never be the wiser. They beg for a shower of capers, and loosened purse strings.
Grazie mille Florence!
Eager to learn more? Read about why Captain Pippo Testa calls sugarello “a fish of memory“, or check out our tasting notes and serving tips for these Sicilian wild fishies. Every fillet is packed in real Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. That’s not something you see, or taste, every day.
