From Spain, the cutting edge in a can

Since the founding of Foodie Nation, there have been few laws stricter, more rigorously observed, than the fundamental: “Thou shalt not eat from a can.” There is something to be said for this. Many, maybe even most, canned products are nothing more than second-rate versions of fresh. But like all zero tolerance policies, it takes only a single shining exception to make this one look foolish.

Spanish canned foods, particularly fish and shellfish, are on the cutting edge of current gastronomy. There are entire restaurants devoted to serving them, and chefs who make a point of mentioning high-quality canned ingredients on their menus. This isn’t some new Iberian craziness from the mad laboratory of Ferran Adria. If anything, it’s a belated recognition of some of the world’s great traditional food products.

Anchovies, either preserved in oil (rich, meaty anchoas) or vinegar (startlingly sweet boquerones), buttery tuna belly (ventresca), delicately complex giant white asparagus with the texture of a fine mousse -- these are just a few of the treats that are waiting. The cooking and curing involved in the canning process is an intrinsic part of their appeal. These are certainly not second-rate imitations of fresh, but fine ingredients in their own right. They bear no more resemblance to Chicken of the Sea than prosciutto di Parma does to sliced luncheon meat.

At this time of year, when it sometimes seems holiday entertaining can sap the spirit of even the most creative cook, these conservas, as they’re called in Spain, need only very minor touching up to make extremely elegant appetizers. Given the right assortment of ingredients, you could even throw a cocktail party armed with nothing more than a knife and a toaster -- and, of course, a can opener.

Whether it’s something as pedestrian-seeming as sardines or as exotic as chipirones (tiny whole baby squids preserved in their own ink), the Spanish have made a fetish out of preserving food. Quimet I Quimet, a widely heralded Barcelona tapas bar, serves only food that comes from a can. Chef Joana Perez, one of three family members who cook at the restaurant, makes montaditos -- small open-faced sandwiches -- combining things like tomatoes, mussels and herring caviar, or mackerel, cornichons and sun-dried tomatoes.

At Ciudad in downtown L.A., the daily tapas menu regularly features boquerones and piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese and avocado. Sample Conservas, a highly praised Brooklyn tapas bar, takes a global approach, offering dishes composed of preserved foods from around the world.

Serve mixed or straight up

But the beautiful thing is that most of these products are delicious just as they are. Make Basque-style pinchos by arranging bits of preserved seafood on a small piece of toast, a cracker or, in the Spanish way, a potato chip.

At most, they’ll need a little sprucing up, a squeeze of lemon or a dash of vinegar, or maybe some minced garlic and good Spanish olive oil. Put out an assortment of these platters and small plates, and uncork the sparkling wine -- either a fruity Californian such as the rose from Schrams- berg or Roederer Estate, or a slightly more austere Spanish cava such as the terrific, affordable Paul Cheneau or Castellblanch. Even better, open a fino sherry (Domecq’s “La Ina” is very good, as is Lustau, but with fino, freshness is everything -- ask your retailer which are the most recent shipments). You’ve got a holiday party people will be talking about for years.

Serve the seafood conservas on small toasts or crackers, the better to show them off. The potato chip that Spanish tapas bars sometimes substitute for bread seems like a particularly good idea with soft, rich fish, such as anchoas or ventresca tuna. Combine ingredients on some toasts. One popular tapa called a matrimonio marries boquerones (anchovies in vinegar) and anchoas (anchovies in oil).

There’s a very Southern California-seeming tapa that actually comes from the Canary Islands: Spread some avocado on toast and top it with anchovies and a light sauce made from mayonnaise, some minced hard-boiled egg and parsley. In “The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen,” Paula Wolfert has a more elegant version based on thinly sliced avocados and sardines, using a technique she credits to Adria.

You can also make some small composed dishes and serve them on little salad plates. One of the most popular is stuffed piquillo peppers. Use a little ventresca and some mayonnaise, if you like, or make a mousse from a lesser tuna lightened with mayonnaise. Small salads are good too. Toss some boquerones with lightly dressed, thinly sliced celery, for example.

The banderillas are where the Spanish predilection for the baroque really comes out. One popular banderilla combines a pitted green olive, a fillet of boqueron, a piece of marinated artichoke, a slice of piquillo pepper and a slice of cornichon. Or skewer together a small chunk of smooth, nutty manchego cheese and a neat square of membrillo -- the sweet, grainy paste made from quince (get the kind labeled carne; it’s firmer).

The idea is to mix complementary flavors and contrasting textures -- something crisp with something silky, something firm with something soft. Beyond that very loose framework, though, it’s really up to you.

A local Spanish source

THERE are two major Web sites that specialize in Spanish foods, Tienda (www.tienda.com) and the Spanish Table (www.spanishtable.com). Both stock largely the same products, though they may be from different producers.

With Tienda, ingredients such as boquerones and anchoas that require refrigeration even after canning are shipped only Monday through Wednesday mornings, and timely shipping can be iffy. The Spanish Table is better in that regard, but the site doesn’t always work, necessitating a call to one of their stores; there is no toll-free number.

Even better, make your way to La Espanola in Harbor City, just south of where the 405 intersects the 110. A family-run operation that has been in business for more than 20 years, La Espanola direct-imports most of its conservas and sells the same brands at prices that are frequently much cheaper than the others -- even before shipping charges. (It also has a Web site, www.donajuana.com.)

While you’re there, pick up some of the meats La Espanola cures. The lomo embuchado is good, a whole spiced pork loin dried inside a sausage casing. Also try the cantimpalo, a tart dried sausage with a hint of garlic. Maybe best of all is the chorizo leon, a dried sausage with a complex, slightly spicy bang that comes from four types of Spanish paprika, including the smoky pimenton de la vera.

Go on Saturday and you might get a sample of the paella, which can be ordered in quantity to finish a tapas party. La Espanola also stocks a good assortment of Spanish wines.

Other Southern California stores, such as Whole Foods, Gelson’s, Say Cheese, Bristol Farms and Surfas, carry a smattering of the more popular Spanish conservas, but at this point it’s mainly limited to boquerones and ventresca tuna.

Since the trend is just taking off, the selection at most places is fairly limited in terms of brands.

At this point, most of the conservas come to the U.S. from a few large companies, most notably Albo and Ortiz.

Both make very good products; which you choose will depend on your taste and what is available where you’re shopping.

Because La Espanola is the American importer for Albo, that makes up the bulk of its stock.

At this point, you don’t need to get too hung up on the details. The important thing is to be creative. Remember, you’re out on the cutting edge: thinking not only outside the box, but inside the can.

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Preserving good taste

Anchovies in oil (anchoas): These have a deep, rich flavor and a meaty texture. The best come from Cantabria. There are also very good ones from Catalonia (anchoas de l’Escala), but these are becoming rare. Must be refrigerated.

Bonito tuna (atun blanco): Flavorful and meaty, this is usually canned in olive oil.

Cockles (berberechos): Slightly chewy and fairly mild in flavor.

Light tuna (atun claro): The cheapest grade of tuna, made from the smallest chunks, but a good brand packed in decent olive oil that is a far cry from the familiar lunchmeat type.

Mackerel (caballa): Meaty, with a texture somewhere between tuna and sardines. Assertively flavored but not “fishy.”

Mussels (mejillones): Silky and mild, these come brined or in a citrusy vinaigrette-like sauce (en escabeche).

Octopus (pulpo): Mild, sweet and slightly chewy.

Pickled anchovies (boquerones en vinagre): Sweet, a little vinegary and luxuriously meaty (think elegant pickled herring). They’re frequently served dressed with a little minced garlic and olive oil. Canned this way, they’re called boquerones al ajillo. Both must be refrigerated.

Pickled garlic (ajo blanco): Aromatic whole garlic bulbs with only a mild bite.

Piquillo peppers (pimientos del piquillo): Squat, red peppers with thick, meaty walls, they have a beguiling rich, sweet-tart flavor. They’re the favored peppers of the international chef set. Piquillos have an appellation (DO Navarra), but you can find good ones without the label if you make sure they’ve been roasted over wood (asados con lena).

Razor clams (navajas): Delicately briny with thin, silky flesh.

Sardines (sardinas or sardinillas): Probably the most familiar-tasting conserva for Americans, sardines are meaty, oily and flavorful. They come packed in olive oil, tomato sauce or a spicy sauce.

Scallops (zamburinas): Mild, sweet and silky sea scallops.

Squid (calamares or chipirones): Amazingly earthy and complex when packed in its own ink (en su tinta), squid comes either whole (chipirones) or in pieces. The flavor is similar, but the tiny whole baby squids look much cooler.

Stuffed olives (aceitunas rellenas): Usually green manzanilla olives, they are stuffed with a variety of fillings. In Spain the most popular one is stuffed with anchovy (con anchoas). Smoked anchovy stuffing (anchoas ahumadas) is also very good.

Tuna belly (ventresca): The king of preserved seafood, ventresca comes from the fatty belly flap of albacore. It’s milder than atun blanco, with a texture that’s almost intimidatingly rich, like marine butter. While most tuna is packed in cross sections, ventresca is packed lengthwise to show off the long, fine grain of the meat.

White asparagus (esparragos blancos): Mild in flavor with a slight bitterness and an almost mousse-like consistency. Only the very largest are really worthwhile (look for labels that say “5 to 8 count”). This is one of the few vegetables with an appellation (look for a sticker saying DO Navarra).