Tuna bottarga

Poutargue de thon

What it is

The trap fisheries of western Sicily took bluefin on their spawning run, and the roe of the trapped females was salted and pressed into slabs; the great tonnara of Favignana ran from 1859 until it closed in 1977. What comes out is darker, meatier and far louder than mullet bottarga — the same technique on a fish twenty times the size.

In the kitchen

Grate it, do not shave it — the block is coarser and drier than mullet, and a slice sits on the tongue like leather. It will carry a dish that already has garlic, chilli and breadcrumbs in it, where mullet bottarga would vanish.

Goes with

Olive oil Garlic Lemon Chili pepper Parsley Tomato Taggiasca olive Celery

Same species

Albacore Maguro-bushi Mojama Tuna Tuna belly (toro) Ventresca

Something wrong here, or missing? Tell us