bottarga - fancy some fish eggs?

 

Bottarga – like fish? You’ll love this!

 

I was staying with my then boyfriend on the beautiful island of Sardinia when I was first introduced to the fishy little bar all wrapped up like a precious jewel in foil – it was treated like a commodity back then , and still is not cheap.  His father unwrapped it carefully to reveal a chestnut coloured bar of what was later explained to me as “dried fish eggs”.  I was not immediately excited by this package, it must be said, but after tasting it, the wonderful, exotic “bottarga” has become a favourite food of mine.  People love it or hate it – my British chef husband (Sardinia was all a long time ago..) thinks it should be banned,  but I have always kept a soft spot in my heart for the beloved Bottarga.

 

The one I fell in love with is made from mullet eggs (although tuna bottarga is also widely available).  For hard core fish lovers, it can be sliced and eaten as an antipasto on bread – this is really fishy and really full on and not for the faint hearted.

However, there is a maybe more palatable way of eating it – it’s really easy and makes a deliciously different dish.

 

Cook some good quality pasta (my favourite is rustichella d’abruzzo because they dry it slowly and it retains its flavour and texture) – while it’s cooking, slice up some garlic – I like it in rustic slices, but some may prefer it in smaller chunks.

When the pasta’s ready, warm some extra virgin olive oil in a pan – when I say some, I mean, probably for 4 people a good three quarters of a tea cup – the oil will need to properly coat the pasta.  Throw in the garlic and cook it – but DON’T LET IT BURN as there is nothing worse than the bitterness of burnt garlic, and you’d HAVE to start all over again!

 

When the garlic is sizzling and a pale shade of brown (the oil should be well flavoured with the garlic by now) throw in the pasta – let it soak up the lovely garlic oil.  Dish up into bowls.  Get out your grater and this is where the bottarga comes in – just grate away, like a hunk of parmesan.  Maybe not too much for the uninitiated – I like it thick and plentiful.  Mix it up and EAT!

This whole meal takes about 10 – 12 minutes (depending on your pasta), takes no skill and after one mouthful, I’m instantly transported back to the white beaches of Sardinia…..