Bottarga, Gray Mullet fish roe, is a delicacy that all seafood lovers should try at least once in their lifetime.

Obtained from salted, pressed and dried grey mullet or tuna eggs, this product is an important part of the gastronomic tradition of Sardinia, Tuscany and Sicily.

 

The origins of bottarga lead to the Phoenicians. The word itself comes from the arab batārikh, which means ‘salted fish eggs’, a reference to the oldest and most popular preserving method in the world, a process that is masterfully depicted on the walls of several ancient Egyptian tombs.

 

Bottarga is produced by first extracting the ovarian sac of female fish, which needs to be perfectly intact – a process that can only be carried out by hand. After being cleaned, the sac is covered in sea salt, compressed for several days using aged timber planks and weights, then sun-dried for a few more days. During the final stage of production, the fish roe is left to mature for at least 60 days in a dry and ventilated environment.

 

Bottarga obtained from tunas differs quite a bit from the one obtained from grey mullets. They can be easily identified by their color: tuna bottarga is pink in color while grey mullet bottarga is amber in color. The taste of grey mullet bottarga is more delicate and less fishy.

 

Bottarga made from tuna roe, typically has a softer texture and does not dry completely, it is best kept refrigerated.

This is mostly due to the fact that despite the fact that the egg sac is immediately extracted when the tuna is caught, the sac needs to be frozen in order  not to spoil during the rest of it’s journey at sea (remember that tuna fishing boats can be at sea for several days).

Once the egg sac is towed and ready to be processed, it’s water content is higher, therefore producing a softer, less dry bottarga.

 

Grey mullet bottarga is considered more refined and usually more expensive too. It can be completely dry and will keep longer (whole or grated) without needing refrigeration.

You can tell grey mullet bottarga apart from other kinds: high quality bottarga features a uniform rich amber color with no spots and should still have part of the ovarian sac attached to one of the ends, when sold in it’s whole form.

When cut, it should remain compact, which is proof that the mullets have been fished sustainably rather than being farmed through intensive methods.

 

Here at Out of the Blue Seafood we pride ourselves in offering the best quality grey mullet bottarga, made following original, traditional Mediterranean recipes.

 

Like any of our other seafood products, they are handpicked as well as taste tested by our team of expert fishermen and fishmongers.

Our boys truly know fish and only want the best available on their table!