Recipes with bottarga: the best ones aren't made with pasta!

What is bottarga?

Bottarga is a prized food preserve made from the egg sacs of certain fish. The production process is very elaborate and begins with the extraction of the egg sacs, which are then salted, pressed, and left to dry. The result is a true concentration of seafood flavor and aroma. Among the best-known are mullet and tuna bottarga, but also noteworthy is Sardinian ling bottarga, obtained from the eggs of a cod-like fish and characterized by a very delicate flavor.

How to eat bottarga naturally

The best way to savor and appreciate bottarga is to serve it thinly sliced ​​and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and, if desired, a few drops of lemon juice. The flavor of the sea will explode in your mouth!

Crostini with ricotta, lemon, and bottarga: the recipe

Ideal as an appetizer or aperitif, these lemon, ricotta, and bottarga crostini are a very simple bottarga recipe to make.

• 250 g of cow's or buffalo ricotta
• 4 slices of homemade bread, 2 cm thick
• 1 untreated lemon
• 1 sprig of parsley
• 40 g of mullet bottarga
• extra virgin olive oil to taste

Toast the bread slices. Sieve the ricotta through a fine-mesh sieve to make it creamier. Add the grated lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil and mix well. Spread the seasoned ricotta on the toasted bread slices. Garnish with grated bottarga, a pinch of chopped parsley, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

Ideal as an aperitif or starter, accompanied by a glass of excellent Vermentino!

Risotto with bottarga: the recipe

Bottarga risotto is a refined and flavorful dish. It requires just a few ingredients, and you can choose which Mediterranean herbs to add based on your taste.

• 320 g of Carnaroli rice
• 80 g of mullet bottarga
• 20 g of wild fennel
• 1 litre of fish stock
• 1 golden onion
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Grate 60 g of bottarga onto a plate and cut the remainder into thin strips, possibly using a truffle slicer or a very sharp mandolin.
• Pour the fish stock into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Peel and slice the onion, place it in a saucepan with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and sauté for 5 minutes over low heat (be careful not to brown it).
• Moisten with a ladle of hot fish stock and cook for 20 minutes, adding more fish stock if necessary.
• Meanwhile, heat a generous tablespoon of oil in a saucepan, then toast the rice for just over a minute. Pour in a ladle of fish stock, stir, and gradually add more stock, keeping the rice constantly submerged, until cooked through.
• Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and add the onion, grated bottarga, and wild fennel. Divide the risotto into individual plates, garnish with the bottarga shavings, and serve immediately.

Beetroot, quail egg, and bottarga salad: the recipe

Even the simplest salad can be transformed into a dish fit for special occasions if topped with a few slices of bottarga. This salad we're offering is a truly original bottarga recipe.

• 100 g mixed salad (curly lettuce, lamb's lettuce, rocket)
• 100 ml of sour cream
• 80 g of flaked bottarga
• 20 g of pumpkin seeds
• 12 quail eggs
• 1 steamed beetroot
• extra virgin olive oil
• sale
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the shelled quail eggs. Remove them as soon as the egg whites are set and season with salt. Set aside. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a nonstick skillet.
• Pour the sour cream into a bowl, season with salt, then gradually add the extra virgin olive oil, beating with a fork or whisk to create an emulsion.
• Peel the beetroot and cut it into pieces.
• In a bowl, combine the lettuce, beetroot pieces, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with the sour cream dressing and toss. Divide the salad among 4 plates, top with the bottarga and quail eggs, and serve immediately.

In addition to these recipes, we also recommend trying grated bottarga on fried eggs, just like you would with truffles—a true delicacy.