bottarga tonnato

[Greg Ling]

Anybody know where I can buy bottarga or failing that enjoy some in a restaurant?

[marinade]

Anybody know where I can buy bottarga or failing that enjoy some in a restaurant?

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I’ve seen it in mail order at Dean & De Luca and various other high-end sites. The closest local source I’ve found is Assouline at $72 per pound. Di Bruno's doesen't have it listed on line, but I'm sure they can order it. If it turns out that you can only get it in bulk and the pricing is steep, PM me off line and I'll be happy to go in with you on this. But you've got my gears grinding. I'd like to explore making it.

Scratch that idea about making it. Sometimes I get too cocky with my dehydrator and want to dry anything in sight.

(edited by marinade when he came to his senses)

Edited December 29, 2004 by marinade (log)

[john b]

Anybody know where I can buy bottarga or failing that enjoy some in a restaurant?

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There's a pasta dish with grated/shaved bottarga on the menu at Cafe Lamberti in Cherry Hill.

[slkinsey]

Greg, if you're looking for "bottarga tonnato" that might be why you are not having much luck finding anything. That means, more or less, "tuna-ed bottarga." Bottarga is dried and salted fish roe. There are two kinds of bottarga, bottarga di tonno (tuna roe, from Sicilia) and bottarga di muggine (grey mullet roe, from Sardegna). Bottarga di muggine is, in my opinion, far superior to bottarga di tonno.

When you buy bottarga, it's important to buy whole bottarga and not pre-grated bottarga (which tends to taste like cat food). Gustiamo.com sells whole bottarga di muggine and also pre-grated bottarga di tonno, both for a reasonable price.

Bottarga is a wonderful product, and adds a mysterious funky flavor to many dishes. One good and almost foolproof dish to try at home is maccheroni alla chitarra with oven dried tomatoes, red chiles and bottarga di muggine from Mario Batali's The Babbo Cookbook.

[Greg Ling]

thanks for the help,apparently I can get some at diBruno's.dang it's pricey

[slkinsey]

A little goes a long way, though.

[marinade]

A little goes a long way, though.

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Nice web site. Sam, have you ever tried their canned tuna?

[slkinsey]

Nice web site. Sam, have you ever tried their canned tuna?

These are good people, whom I believe are formerly the American side of Esperya before the management changed. I haven't bought anything from them (although I have bought from Esperya), but people I trust recommend them quite highly. That said, I have had the Tre Torri ventresca and tarantello di tonno they sell. It is as good as it gets, especially the ventresca. But don't take my word for it. David Rosengarten says:

Let's discuss the price later. I am here to tell you that this product, from Sicily, is simply the greatest, most heart-stopping canned tuna I have ever tasted in my life. Nothing else has ever even come close.

Read the rest of his review, and you'll finish wanting to order some immediately.

[Beatrice Ughi]

I just read. Thank you so much for mentioning our website. Even more for saying that we are nice people. I can't agree more!

If you need some information about tuna or bottarga, just ask. Of course, I'll tell you that ours are the best :-)

B.

[marinade]

Read the rest of his review, and you'll finish wanting to order some immediately.

Thanks for the heads up. Just flipped them an order for bottarga di muggine, can of ventresca, and a jar of Sicilian capers (in salt). I'll think of way to use them in pasta as soon as I taste them.

Film @ 11.

(ed. for spelling)

Edited December 29, 2004 by marinade (log)

[slbunge]

I just read. Thank you so much for mentioning our website. Even more for saying that we are nice people. I can't agree more!

If you need some information about tuna or bottarga, just ask. Of course, I'll tell you that ours are the best :-)

B.

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It is a nice website. Great product description and I really like the fact that you indicate the region in Italy where the product is sourced.

I bought a small piece of bottarga di muggine at a store here in Boston a couple of weeks ago. I can't wait to try it.

The roe is currently sealed in a vacuum pack. How do I best store the remainder after I have opened the vacuum seal? Also, how long will it last?

[Beatrice Ughi]

Stephen, it will last for at least a month in the refrigerator, wrapped in a plastic film. I really has a long life. The worst it could happen to it is that it becomes too dry. If that happens, use it as a pasta sauce (thin slices of bottarga marinated with peperoncino, parsley, minced garlic, capers, ev olive oil - I add some dry bottarga, as well) and it'll be fine. The time of boiling the water and the best sauce is made.

Grazie for asking,

B.

[marinade]

Good Service. Placed an order on Wed. They confirmed it on Thursday, got it on my doorstep today.

[mrbigjas]

i just noticed today that they have little bottles of bottarga di tonno at claudio's, in the fresh mozzarella shop. $8.99 for a little jar.

[marinade]

i just noticed today that they have little bottles of bottarga di tonno at claudio's, in the fresh mozzarella shop.  $8.99 for a little jar.

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Like Sam mentioned, it's the grated stuff. Go for the hunk and shave it yourself. I'm going to play with it next weekend.

My first pass on this was at Vetri's. Really intense flavor when it's freshly shaved.