# Sardinian bottarga/fish roe smoked



## moikel (Apr 14, 2012)

I make bottarga every season ,just starting now. I have made it with all sorts of fish roe but sea mullet remains the pick. I gave this batch a good salt but the sneaky #### at markets pack it so you cant see if they have split the roe sack until you unpack it. 

I am going to stick to my usual method ,wash ,drain blood out of vein,salt ,press but after that I am going to cold smoke it over alder  then leave it to dry.


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## moikel (Apr 18, 2012)

Just about to go into MES.It was pressed under weights for 2 days in fridge.Salted only for 2 days before that. Rubbed over with EVO  .AMZPS loaded with 1 row of hickory.Its 18c here today day 2 of rain front that has dumped  serious rain on our East Coast. 

Put the mullet catch back at least a week its a inshore fishery going to be a lot of dirty water.

I  figure I  will just cold smoke it for 2-3 hours. .Rest it ,let it dry  bit more then bag it. While I  wait for season to start properly.Mullet by far the best roe but its the big sea run stuff that are off the beaches here not out of the rivers. I will have to do a deal at market to get the same grade that gets sent to commercial outfits.


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## moikel (Apr 18, 2012)

2 hours & temp climbed from 18c to 50c caught it just in time.That MES is really well insulated.Left door open,put AMZPS down to bottom filled waterpan with ice.Turned bottarga will give it another hour.


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## moikel (Apr 18, 2012)

Had to pull it got a minor flood happening had to move MES to higher ground..Held it at 26c for last hour still had pellets to go but need to cut power  roll up leads etc.Move furniture all at 9pm. More rain tomorrow we got entire months rainfall in 2 days. .

My house on high side of street in higher suburb,cars floatind down streets on the TV! AMZPS just kept on chugging humidity 100% didnt bother it.

Put bottarga under the full press picked up a bit of moisture from steam after ice went into smoker. Lightened up the salt on this batch so critical I  keep moisture down by mechanical means. This stuff will keep a year if you do it right.


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