Bottarga is the naturally dried roe from grey mullet (muggine) or tuna and is thought to have been introduced to the coastal areas of Italy by the Phoenicians around the 8th century bc. With high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a strong umami (savoury) flavour and a concentrated fishy aroma, bottarga tends to be either loved or hated.
The traditional method of producing it is to delicately extract the egg pouch from the female fish, then salt and press it until dry. The time allowed for this varies among both producers and countries. Some of the earliest records suggest that this method of producing and preserving fish roe originated in the Nile delta around the 10th century bc and eventually spread to areas that are now present-day Greece, Turkey, Italy and France.
The Italian word bottarga has its roots in Arabic. The grey mullet variety used here is known as baterekh in modern Arabic, botarga in Spanish, poutarge in French, and avgotaraho in modern Greek.
Sardinian bottarga di muggine from the small town of Cabras has become indelibly associated with fine Italian cuisine, which has contributed to the product’s elevation to luxury status. Indeed, it is often referred to as the ‘caviar of the south’. Bottarga di Orbetello, produced in the area around the Orbetello lagoon in the province of Grossetto, Tuscany, is listed as a protected product by the Slow Food Foundation.The main producers today are in Sardinia, Sicily and Tuscany. Excellent bottarga can also be found in Greece, where the avgotaraho from Messologiou has PDO status; in Turkey, whose haviar is listed in the Slow Food Foundation’s Ark of Taste, a catalogue of excellence; and in Egypt, around Port Said, where outstanding baterekh is produced.
Spaghetti with grey mullet Bottarga (Spaghetti alla Bottarga di Muggine)
Particularly associated with Sardinia, this dish can be found in many of its restaurants. Also, most families on the island have their own recipe for it, so, like many dishes, it is the subject of heated debate. To add to the dispute, Spaghetti alla Bottarga has now ‘crossed over’, which means it is prepared and eaten all over Italy (and beyond). The great advantage of this dish is that it can essentially be made at any time as the majority of the ingredients can be kept in the store cupboard or fridge.
In my opinion, the main ingredient itself is so good and packed with multi-layered flavours that the number of other ingredients should be kept to an absolute minimum. For me, the addition of garlic, chilli and lemon juice or zest simply destroys the two core ingredients of this dish, namely the bottarga and dried pasta.
I have had variants of this dish for most of my adult life in Sardinian restaurants and homes, in other parts of Italy, and throughout Europe and North America. However, the best I have tasted, and the recipe that I tend to base my version on, was eaten in London.
I first ran into Roberto Pisano, a native Sardinian, when he was running front of house in one of London’s better Italian restaurants. He later opened two of his own, whilst also running a restaurant group that had two other excellent Italian establishments. From the first time I met him, I noted that the Spaghetti alla Bottarga served in his restaurant was exceptional. After many requests over the years for the secret of his recipe, Roberto one day simply said to me, ‘The spaghetti never touches water’. What he meant is that he boils his pasta in fumetto, a wonderfully intense fish stock made with the bones, heads and trimmings of grey mullet or other white fish, such as sea bass or sea bream.
Roberto’s dish, which I share with you here, is truly outstanding and perfectly balanced, but what I particularly like is that the limited number of ingredients allows the bottarga to be the star of the show.
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