Sprats and Avocado Sandwich

It seems lately that everyone is talking about Alton Brown's Good Eats episode, "Live and Let Diet" where he espouses one of his favorite light meals, packed with heart-healthy goodies, nutrients and fats: marinated brislings over avocado mash on toasted bread.

Those of you who already eat tinned fishies like sardines, kippers, herring, anchovy and, our favorite, sprats, are probably already wondering whether or not there's a ripe avocado in the cupboard. Just skip down to the end for my adaptation.

I want to talk to those of you who, like my mother, scrunch up your nose and look at a tin of fish as if it were the most horrible food product on earth.

I have only two questions for you: Do you like tuna fish sandwiches or tuna salad? Ever enjoyed fried salmon cakes?

Guess what: You just ate a tin of fish. It's fishy, flaky and oh-so-good, isn't it?

Now, take the tin of humble sprats. You know what's inside? A different, smaller fish that's been smoked and packed in oil. Since he's a tiny little guy, he still has his bones (so does that salmon you buy in a can!) and probably his skin and some fins. They're all completely edible. The canning process cooks everything enough so that it's nice and soft - you'll never even know unless you look.

And if you're still a bit squicked out? Just smoosh 'em all up into a mash! Now it looks just like a bit darker version of tuna salad. No problem there, right?

I'll let you in on a little secret: Smoked tinned fish is much, much better than tinned tuna. There's no comparison, at least not for me. I'd rather have sprats than tuna; the smoky, rich flavor just can't be beat. And this open-faced sandwich is a marvelous way to try them out.

Personally, I absolutely love this sandwich. I can't believe I never thought to match sprats to avocado! I originally tried the recipe the way Alton does it: with sardines. I found them too mild, too bland and absolutely requiring the apple cider vinegar and marinating Alton calls for. Sprats don't need vinegar or marinating at all because they're so intensely flavorful on their own.

And of course, being me, I strongly recommend you look for ones from Latvia. (This is easy, more than 75% of the sprats out there come from Latvia.) If at all possible, if you have the option, get "Rīgas zelts" -- my personal favorite and one of the best brands. Don't get the tins of fish in sauce. While they're still good eats, I think the sauce would probably clash, especially if it's sweet.