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Bottarga (Mullet roe)
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Identity Card
Name: Mullet roe
Product category: Mullet or tuna eggs processed and dried
Zone of production: Sardinia
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Bottarga, or mullet roe is an important food on the major Italian island of Sardinia. For this reason it is also known as Sardinian caviar. Bottarga has ancient origins, but it is still considered one of the most authentic examples of the island's gastronomic tradition. It is made from mullet eggs, which are carefully extracted from the fish, great care being taken to make sure not to rupture the sacks that hold them.
The process that follows is long and painstaking, although not particularly difficult. Above all, it requires lots of experience, especially when it comes to the amount of salt to use. Following a drying period of at least fifteen days, the bottarga can be enjoyed in many ways: whole, cut into fine slices or grated, and it can be kept for a long period of time. An amber color, sea aroma and delicate flavor are the main characteristics of this typically Sardinian product, which is similar to tuna roe. However, tuna roe is distinguished by a sharper, less mellow flavor. In order to make the most of bottarga, take a baffa (this is the name given to a whole sack of dried eggs) and cut it into fine slices, serving it with slices of celery and a drizzle of olive oil. Combining it with artichoke hearts is another popular way of serving it, poetically uniting two unique Sardinian products from the land and the sea.
An antipasto like this makes an excellent prelude to a first course of pasta also featuring mullet roe. You could prepare, for instance, Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and hot pepper, adding some grated bottarga right at the last moment, a trick that unleashes a unique aroma that is guaranteed to captivate you immediately. Sardinian bottarga is characterized by a perfect blend of flavors that brings out all the marine aroma typical of mullet roe. When it comes to selecting the right wine combination, the classic accompaniment to bottarga is a Vermentino di Gallura but, if you wish to stray from the traditional practice, other white wines, for example, a Collio goriziano, will do just as well. The important thing is to serve the wine chilled. In order to keep it chilled on hot summer evenings, it's a good idea to keep a bucket of ice on the table or a serving cart.
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