Macgregors Seafood Notes

A wonderful discovery at Lawrence of Arabia - Yes macgregors Regularly Stocks Bottarga direct from Spain!

May 16, 2007 Amy Pataki The Star.com

I went for falafel and found caviar.
Such was my recent stroke of culinary good luck while searching for the city's best falafel. The strip of Lawrence Ave. E. in Scarborough called Lawrence of Arabia seemed promising, with its abundance of Mideast restaurants and food stores.
While waiting for the fluffy fava bean patties being fried to order at Lotus Catering and Fine Foods (1960 Lawrence Ave. E. near Pharmacy Ave., 416-757-8315), I browsed the tiny grocery section. There were the usual suspects: hibiscus tea, rice, aged gabneh cheese. Then I spotted the dark red logs stacked like firewood in the refrigerator. What were they?
"Bottarga," said chef/owner Eeid Saleh.
My heart beat faster. Bottarga is dried mullet roe, a Mediterranean delicacy. To taste it, shaved onto pasta or bread, is to taste an ocean breeze.
Bottarga is an ancient food. The Egyptians called it batarekh, which evolved into bottarga in Italian and boutargue in French. The egg sacs from heavily pregnant fish – mullet, yes, but also tuna, swordfish, amberjack and cod – are salted and pressed. Sometimes the blocks of roe are coated in beeswax to preserve it, but refrigeration also does the trick.
Heady and homely, bottarga is not for the timid. Sweeter than anchovies and less fishy than taramasalata (another roe product), it is nonetheless briny with a surprisingly clean finish. Lacking the pop of fresh roe, the eggs are hard enough to grate and partner best with lemons and olive oil.
Like beluga caviar, you won't find bottarga in your local superstore. The rare delicatessen or fishmonger stocks it. The Egyptian mullet bottarga at Lotus is about $6 an ounce, while the less salty Italian version locked in the caviar case at both Pusateri's locations is roughly $22 an ounce. Diana's Seafood Delight (2101 Lawrence Ave. E., 416-288-9286) will special order it.
It's even harder to find bottarga on Toronto menus. Coppi Ristorante (3363 Yonge St., 416-484-4464) in Lawrence Park is the exception. It imports bottarga di muggine, the mullet roe called "Sardinian caviar," as a warm-weather treat. "You can get it year-round, but since you don't need to cook it, it fits the weather," says manager Alessandro Scotto.
The grated roe is mixed into fresh taglierini with just olive oil and chopped basil. The pasta's heat melts the golden brown grains into a creamy sauce bolstered by fine breadcrumbs. At $21.50 a plate, it is subtle and ephemeral. One bite begs another. Coppi also has stronger tuna bottarga.
If you like caviar, bottarga may be for you.