Grated Mullet Bottarga from Ittica d’Or

Similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated bottarga—the salted, dried and pressed roe of the grey sea mullet fish—is a quick and easy way to add savory depth to a variety of dishes, whether it’s pasta, rice, eggs or vegetables. A delicacy in Sicily and Sardinia, this “Mediterranean caviar” is nutty and delicately salty with a briny kick similar to uni. Sicily’s Ittica d’Or offers their bottarga whole, for shaving off thin slices like you would cheese or truffles, but this jar of finely grated shavings offers more convenience, meaning you can enjoy bottarga’s singular marine flavor on just about anything. 

How to use

Bottarga is to be used like a condiment, sprinkled over a finished or nearly finished dish, as too much heat might mute its nuance. In Sardinia, it’s often served as pasta con la bottarga, made simply with spaghetti or a similar long cut, extra virgin olive oil and just a whiff of garlic so as not to overpower the star of the dish. Riff on this basic recipe with buttered egg pasta or dive deeper into oceanic flavors by pairing bottarga with squid ink spaghetti or colatura di Alici (anchovy syrup). But bottarga also has uses far beyond pasta. Try sprinkling shavings over boiled baby potatoes seasoned with salt and lemon, celery and cannellini bean salad or over soft-scrambled eggs and toast.