Bottarga, a traditional delicacy of both Sicily and Sardinia, is the salted, pressed and dried roe pouch of tuna. Sometimes called "poor man's caviar," tuna bottarga is intense, very aromatic and full of sea flavors, a treat for true seafood lovers. If milder ocean flavor is what you seek, try mullet bottarga.
To make bottarga, the roe sack is removed whole from the fish, packed under sea salt to draw out moisture, gently pressed under boards and then hung to dry for several days. This ancient curing process preserves the roe and ages it much like a fine prosciutto!
