3.6 ounce piece approximately The heritage of preserving seafood and farming the nutrient rich sea salt of the tidal marshes to preserve that seafood is maintained to this day especially in Sicily and Sardinia. Fishermen from Sardinia bring the tradition of air-cured tuna and flavorful sea salt to the rest of the world. Once known as the poor man's caviar, bottarga is the salted, pressed and dried roe of either the tuna (tonno) or gray mullet (mugine). It is a specialty of both Sardinia and Sicily. The long, fat roe sack is salted and massaged by hand over several weeks to eliminate air pockets. The roe is then pressed using wooden planks and stone or marble weights. It is then sun dried for one to two months. While some think the practice of preserving tuna or mullet roe is the legacy of the Byzantines, the practice actually goes farther back to ancient and possibly even pre-historic times. The same process is used in Turkey, Egypt, and even coastal areas of Asia. Tuna bottarga has a lively, salty, sharp flavor, stronger than gray mullet bottarga. Bottarga is shaved, sliced, chopped or grated, and just a little can provide a ton of flavor to a whole host of dishes. The most popular dish is Spaghetti con Bottarga, made with grated or finely chopped bottarga, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley, simple but delicious. Top a salad of bitter greens with shaved bottarga, or grate it into your rice congee for a more flavorful breakfast. Bottarga should be kept in the fridge to maintain its flavor.
- A 3.6 oz piece of Bottarga di Tonno from Sardinia
- Salted, pressed and dried tunna roe
- Lively, salty sharp flavor, stronger than gray mullet bottarga
- Adds a ton of flavor to a whole host of dishes. Perfect for Spagetti con Bottarga
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