Bottarga Di Muggine (Grey Mullet Roe) - Whole - L'Oro di Cabras, Sardinia, Italy

This whole mullet bottarga from producer l'Oro di Cabras, in Sardegna, enhances any dish with a briny Mediterranean Sea flavor. Mullet bottarga is more delicate tasting than tuna bottarga. All you have to do to use this mullet bottarga is peel away the outer layer and slice or grate it. For example, slice it thin for a classic spaghetti con bottarga with extra virigin olive oil. Or to use it, not only to add salt and umami, but also to add a delightfully feathery texture to your dishes, shave it directly onto bruschetta, bitter greens, mashed potatoes, risotto, scrambled eggs, pizza, or fresh fennel salad. One whole bottarga can flavor dozens of meals, and will last well for several years in the refrigerator. This Bottarga di Muggine is made from the roe (egg) pouch of the grey mullet fish. Once it has been dried and cured, it has a golden or amber color and a savory, briny taste with a hint of almond. Bottarga was once known as the "poor man's caviar," but that hardly does justice to this Mediterranean delicacy, prized by food lovers from the ancient Egyptian, Phoenician and Roman empires, on up to the present. Amazingly, the production process has remained almost unchanged over the centuries. The roe sacks are cleaned, salted, pressed, and dried naturally on wooden planks for 15 to 30 days - unlike commercial versions, which can be dried in electric ovens in a few minutes, resulting in a higher water content and tell-tale pink color, the sign of an improperly cured product. The Fratelli Manca cooperative is proud to follow the traditional process of bottarga production, an historically important and delicious tradition!