bottarga(cured fish roe) & Alicci con pepperoncino sotto olio. Sardines with chilli under oil

[moikel]

Started this because Bear carver suggested it & fishing gods have been kind

. I  knew there were sardines because I  had got a call yesterday but when I  got there another seller had 3 different fish roe, Wahoo,mirror dory & leatherjacket all just done so I got the pick & got about 2lb of each. I will Qview later tonight I  hope after I clean up a bit . 

Sardines on East Coast different to West Coast. To a sicilian they are Alicci .I have 36lb gross ,net ?? ready to come out of cure in a week so I  can show you whole process just by knocking out 5lb tonight/tomorrow then finishing next week.Its a 28 day cure.

I picked up 20litres/ 5gallons olive oil at the farm gate from a good old boy,Italian ,for $200 so am ready to go next week. Better get the pressure washer ready & start being nice to the wife in anticipation.

Masterbuilt 30 sitting in lounge room for minute

back to market first thing on friday.

 

[SmokinAl]

Sounds we'll be here waiting!

                   

 

[moikel]

Wahoo roe havent seen it before but sparkling fresh,washed very gently in brine then cleaned gently.

Leather jacket roe

Mirror dory which I know,very sweet but lots of water ,probably best candidate for a light cold smoke part way through process.

On rack ready for salting,it will lose a lot of moisture in first 48hrs,its turned & resalted every 12hrs for fist 3 days in fridge.

Salt is mixed with grated zest of 3 oranges & 3 lemons & 4 torn up bay leaves,I wont press it until its lost a heap of moisture otherwise it bursts.Had to tie off 3 that were split as it was.Trouble with buying it prepacked.

 

[moikel]

Thats it for bottarga for a few days,I  got into it because I was intrigued by the fact that its made by the Italians,particularly Sardinians,French,Portugese,Turkish,Arabs,Japanese,Korean & Chinese. More or less the same way for thousands of years. Some smoke it some dont the sun dry aspect varies as to the types of fish but its essentially the same thing. A valueable source of almost pure protein that keeps. Some pasta or rice some vegetables & your fed.

They have the Asian version at the market at wait for it $14 per 100gms thats $80 perpound US at todays rates

.I paid between $10 -20 a kg(2.2 lbs) .salt & oranges are cheap.I have a lemon tree & a bay tree in the yard.. Its also sold on line shipped from Europe at truly crazy prices which rich stupid people pay

 

[moikel]

What passes for sardines on the east coast of Aust,distinct advantage no scales.These are in great shape & cheap today at $2 a pound. They migrate up coast being pursued by big tuna ,wahoo,  & some big sharks lurking underneath.

You have to be gentle with them,for 5lb sardines mix 2lb rocksalt with 2 chopped oranges & 2 chopped lemons ,rough chop its not TV. GENTLEY turn sardines with mix then put into refrigerator for 24 hrs or close.Dont clean fish! After 24hrs wash salt off then head,gut ,butterfly & remove backbone.Way easier now.If you are doing a big batch take them out of fridge in batches much easier to clean if they stay firm.

If you talk to a Calabrian,a Sicilian,a Puglian or a Neopolitan old timer they all claim their way is the only way but the difference is minimal.

I will post next preparation step in a day or 2 then the final stages when I do big batch not before August 12.If you like sardines fresh do step 1 for 4 to 12 hours then wash thoroughly,clean then fry or whatever takes a lot of the stronger fishy flavour out & makes them way easier to handle I eat a lot fresh so if anybody wants a recipe give me a yell. MICK

 

[Bearcarver]

Moikel,

This is all very interesting, and you're doing a great job explaining & illustrating it.

By mentioning how it is almost pure protein, you reminded me of the fact that I use to eat a lot of roe when I was young & pumping iron.

Roe is one of the only foods that has a whole lot more protein than liver, which is one of the things a lot of body builders used to eat (along with raw eggs), in the days before all of the supplements that are now available.

Can't wait for the next installment.........

Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

Right there with you Bear!

 

[shooter1]

X3, this is going to be good! 

  Me thinks we are going to need the jumbo sized popcorn.

 

[roller]

Thats all real nice, but I am just not hungry for that...I will just stick to my turkey balls....

 

[meateater]

Oh man I have this one bookmarked ! I grew up on the ocean fishing all the time and miss it. 

 

[Bearcarver]

Hey Moikel,

Ya gotta admit, The Roe looks better fried or broiled.

Raw roe scares "non-roe-eaters" even farther away............   

Looks like we aren't alone though!!!

Bear

 

[moikel]

Suppose its how you define raw

. Prosciutto is salted only same as all those Spanish jamon(ham) that cost a fortune a lot of salami is just cured as well. I eat everything from sushi to pigs ears to beef cheeks to chickens feet to ducks tongues to blood sausage to lambs brains so uncooked fish roe not such a big leap

Wife wants prior notice on some things so she can go out with girls

leaving me in peace to watch game

.& eat in peace without commentary on what a wacko I am.

I  grew up 350 miles from ocean on a river called the Murrumbidgee,so it was freshwater fish,including catfish or frozen seafood only. When I  got to Sydney, 33 years ago & saw all the variety of seafood & ethnic diversity my big eating cooking adventure started.It coincided with the food revolution here where people started to eat ,squid,octapus ,mussells etc because they saw the Italians ,Greeks etc eating it & serving it in restaurants . Before that Australians ate white fleshed fish,prawns,oysters,crab & lobster everything else was catfood or bait times have changed a lot.

I will Qview next sardine stage tonight my time ,hopefully.

 

[meateater]

Suppose its how you define raw

. Prosciutto is salted only same as all those Spanish jamon(ham) that cost a fortune a lot of salami is just cured as well. I eat everything from sushi to pigs ears to beef cheeks to chickens feet to ducks tongues to blood sausage to lambs brains so uncooked fish roe not such a big leap

Wife wants prior notice on some things so she can go out with girls

leaving me in peace to watch game

.& eat in peace without commentary on what a wacko I am.

I  grew up 350 miles from ocean on a river called the Murrumbidgee,so it was freshwater fish,including catfish or frozen seafood only. When I  got to Sydney, 33 years ago & saw all the variety of seafood & ethnic diversity my big eating cooking adventure started.It coincided with the food revolution here where people started to eat ,squid,octapus ,mussells etc because they saw the Italians ,Greeks etc eating it & serving it in restaurants . Before that Australians ate white fleshed fish,prawns,oysters,crab & lobster everything else was catfood or bait times have changed a lot.

I will Qview next sardine stage tonight my time ,hopefully.

That's great, I agree everything but the moo, oink, cluck and a fish tail slap. All else is table fair. 

 

[moikel]

Change of plan. These little guys look a bit like bar snacks anyway, ok maybe bar snacks from star wars,but bar snacks none the less

.They are from Ocean Leather jacket ,pretty good eating fish but a bit unattractive unless of course you are another leatherjacket! SO turned the citrus salt cure into a brine,added cold water,pepper corns ,juniper berry,bay leaf ,coriander seed & a corona.

 Let it sit for an hour in fridge then I  will dry them off let them sit overnight & hot smoke them in the window between 3 &6 friday afternoon.

Couldnt help my self & dropped into market on way home lucky day got 4lb ultra fresh Gem fish roe. They are part of cod family roe a foot long $10 a kg if all of it,under salt now. 

 

[moikel]

Dud photo I know but you get the idea.First smoke experiment tomorrow,figure 2 hrs hot smoke,just as well dont have cold smoke a-mazing thing till next week. Figure I  will try them out with slices of lime served cold.DS

 

[moikel]

S

Sardines cleaned,butterfly did 50 in 30 min

Laid flat on baking paper with salt underneath then on top.

2 layers paper sardines salt repeat.

Several layers of baking paper then paper towels a piece of board but I  didnt have a spare bit,then weights. Note crockery dish never metal,into cellar 28 days minimum.

 

[Bearcarver]

Wow!!!

Keeps getting more interesting!!!

BTW: I didn't mean you were eating them raw, I only meant the pictures of raw roe usually confirms for those who don't eat roe that they don't want to. 

LOL---You could join me on Fridays. That's when I eat things like Shad Roe, when Mrs Bear takes her 90 year old Dad out to eat.

Keep the info coming,

Bear

 

[moikel]

I  cooked a couple of roe today after thinking about your reply. They had been cut but I  couldnt see  because they were pre packed. Dusted them in flour fried them in olive oil with a little garlic .Squeeze of lemon pretty good 

.They were mirror dory dont know if you have a U.S fish they didnt taste that fishy.When you cure them they have this sweetness thats hard to describe,I made a pate from a smoked eel recipe using this cured roe in place of the eel really turned out special impressed the hell out of visitors from Netherlands .Just spread it on pumpernickel.

 

[roller]

Bear I will drink beer while you eat Roe...

 

[daveomak]

Moikel, mornin'......Red meat sardines......interesting....On the Pac. Coast our sardines had big spots on their sides.......Does the meat cook up white ??? like skipjack tuna.....

Great thread and recipes.....Thanks.......Dave