Bottarga di Muggine — Cured Grey Mullet Roe

The lagoons of Cabras and Santa Gilla in Sardinia — grey mullet have been farmed in the coastal lagoons of Sardinia since Phoenician times. The technique of pressing and drying roe sacs is ancient; the Sardinian product is documented in records going back at least to the 14th century.

Bottarga is the preserved, pressed, and dried roe sac of the grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) — the most prized seafood product of Sardinia and a flavour of extraordinary depth. The intact roe sac is removed from the fish in September-October when the females are at their prime, coated in sea salt, pressed under weighted boards for several weeks to extract moisture, then air-dried for 2-4 months until it is firm, golden-amber, and completely dry. The result is grated or sliced thin and used as a condiment — a little goes an enormous way.

Mullet bottarga grated fresh has a complex, layered flavour — intense oceanic umami, a sweet-saline quality from the mullet's fat, and a subtle bitterness from the membrane. Nothing about it is simply 'fishy'. On warm pasta with olive oil, the bottarga dissolves slightly and its flavour permeates every strand. The taste lingers on the palate for several minutes.