Fishwife and Churn are two rare companies with both extremely good packaging and actually great products. And now they’ve come together to create a fishy, briny, creamy new condiment: anchovy and lemon butter. But does it live up to its pedigree? I ate it straight off a knife to find out.
Pros: I love anchovies. I led our most recent anchovy taste test and happily scarfed down straight anchovy fillets. And I particularly love Fishwife anchovies. They have a balanced flavor that’s not too fishy or salty—good enough to eat on buttered bread as a snack. And those same anchovies lend this butter an incredible depth of umami flavor. And the butter is super creamy and decadent. It’s a spreadable version of that app I just talked about. And I bet it’d be good as hell on a tomato sandwich or spread on fresh radishes.
Cons: Where’s the lemon?! I really couldn’t detect a smidge of acidity. If there were little bits of preserved lemon in the mix, I really think this could be a 10/10 butter. But without that hit of citrus, it feels like it’s lacking something.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Justine Sterling
Griffin Parker
Vinz Karl
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!