Gastroanthropology

Bottarga - Dried Mullet Roe

A few weeks ago we spent sometime in Sardinia, boating around the Golfo di Orosei. There are no roads in this area that lead to the water so boating and hiking are your only options. You can hike down for a swim, but the view from the sea is really the best way to admire the limestone cliffs that seem to spill into the aqua marine water.

You can anchor your boat a few hundred yards away from the coast and snorkel around...eyeing your dinner.

Afternoons were spent exploring the coast, sunning and swimming. Evenings were spent gorging on Sardinian seafood. Grilled cuttlefish tossed with lots of garlic, olive oil, summer tomatoes, and parsley. A healthy squeeze of lemon and it tastes so good you grab the last cuttlefish without any thought or guilt for not offering it to your dinner date.

Octopus ceviche...another favorite... 

Of course, you don't need to be in Sardinia to enjoy these wonderful delights. There is, however, something quite Sardinian that you absolutely can't leave the island without trying - Bottarga. Bottarga is the salted, pressed, sunbaked, dried roe sack of mullet or tuna. Bottarga has been made from ancient times and is found all along the Mediterranean from France to Greece to Africa. The best comes from the Sardinian town of Cabras, on the Western coast. This is because bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean spawn in areas around the Western coast of Sardinia, and have since recorded history. I have a thing about eating bluefin tuna, because it has been nearly fished to extinction, so I go for mullet bottarga. The sacs tend to be smaller, but quality-wise considered very much on par. After the sac has been dried, it is dipped in a thin layer of beeswax which with a little effort peels off easily. 

Bottarga isn't the most appealing thing to look at, but is delicious sliced thin over hot pasta tossed in olive oil, or on lemon juice and olive oil soaked bruschetta. A truffle slicer is perfect to shave little bits of bottarga over salad. A sharp cheese slicer or vegetable peeler will also do. Once sliced it takes on a burnt orange color with flecks of what looks like gold. The bottarga from this area is actually called 'Cabras Gold'. Bottarga prices are quite steep, but just the teeniest of amounts have the most intense flavor.

This is a simple way to recreate a little bit of Sardinia, wherever you may be. Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil (I don't salt the water because bottarga is salty). Meanwhile in a large fry pan heat up really good olive oil on low heat. As the olive oil gets warm sprinkle in finely minced garlic and lemon zest. Drop fresh pasta into the boiling water - this is one of those times where having fresh pasta is important. Within two or three minutes your fresh pasta should be ready. Drain and immediately add to the heated olive oil with garlic and lemon zest. Toss together with chopped flat leaf parsley. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon and add grated bottarga. Eat immediately. 

 

Today bottarga is exported all over the world so it is possible to get it outside of Sardinia. A good Italian deli should have access to bottarga - they may not have in the shop but will likely be able to order it for you. At Christmas time they are more likely to have it in house. If you are in London, Lina Stores in Soho, carry bottarga year round. Just around the corner at I. Camisa&Son, the pre-shaved, jarred bottarga is readily available, with real bottarga sold at Christmas. My suggestion would be to head to I. Camisa&Son for their huge selection of delicious, homemade fresh pasta and then to Lina Stores for bottarga. 

Lina Stores, 18 Brewer St., London W1F 0SH

I. Camisa&Son, 61 Old Compton St., London W1D 6HS

Burns Night Feast

Through the magic of food I went to Scotland last night for a Burns Night Feast, without actually going to Scotland. What is Burns Night you say? Well, its actually today, January 25th, the birth date of Robert Burns (1759-1796). A feast celebrates Scotland's favorite champion of the common man, poet and balladeer. He is best known for poems like A Red, Red Rose; To A Louse; the famous Auld Lang Syne; and, of course the Address To A Haggis.

A celebration dedicated to a man who writes a poem about boiled lamb and beef innards with oatmeal? The Scots really are a fabulous bunch. Burns Night Feasts feature Scottish classics and copious amounts of whiskey.

Last night at Mudchute Kitchen's Burns Night Feast we had:

Haggis is a must for any Burns Night Feast. Rumor has it that the best haggis in all the world comes from Macsween's. The haggis was so flavorful and delicious, and of the few times I've had haggis, this was the first time I can truly say I enjoyed the flavor. Macsween's also has a vegetarian haggis that is tasty as well. The haggis was served alongside another Scottish dish, Neeps 'n' Tatties, or turnips (more likely rutabaga's in the winter) and mashed potatoes.

Before addressing the haggis, we had Cullen Skink. I first tried this smoked haddock soup last spring on the Isle of Skye, and was very excited to have another taste. The smoked haddock stands up to the potato and cream perfectly making the most scrumptious soup.

For dessert, Caledonian Cream was served. It's whipped cream cheese and heavy cream with orange marmalade and whiskey. Chunky orange peel marmalade is actual of Scottish origin, invented in Dundee in the late 1700s. 

Thinking of your own Burns Night Feast? You could also include some other Scottish favorites like Cock-a-Leekie, a Scottish chicken soup with leeks and prunes; Scottish smoked salmon; Caboc, a rich, creamy cheese rolled in oats and Scotland's oldest, dating back to the 1400s; and, Typsy Laird, a dessert made with layers of sponge cake, raspberries, custard, oats, and whiskey. If in doubt, just lace everything heavily with whiskey!

The only thing missing from last night's feast was a True Scotsman!

Summer's End in San Sebastian

It's been just over a year since we've made London our home-base. And what a year it has been. Certainly in the book of my life, this past year will be an interesting chapter. We've managed to visit nearly every place in Europe we've ever wanted to go, and made a commitment to do today, before we've even turned 30, what most say they might do when they retire. 

Summer has managed to slip through our fingers and its that time of year when days get shorter and I find myself pulling a sweater over my head as soon as I wake. Rather than totally succumb to fall we managed to squeeze in one last summer trip where beaches and food took center stage.

Angulas - Baby Eels 

Basque country in Spain is situated on the Bay of Biscay, borders France to the east, and sits just above La Rioja. Our time in Basque country was spent in San Sebastian. Mornings were spent exploring the town and hiking around, afternoons dedicated to wave surfing and sunning at the beach, and evenings were dedicated to Rioja and pintxos.

Pintxos are San Sebastian's answer to tapas. Most are littered along the bar and you pick what you like. Locals wash them down with cider, but we found we much preferred Rioja with our pintxos.

 

Others are chosen from a menu and cooked to order - like this calamari...

Or this squid, stuffed with meat and a whole shrimp!

The most memorable though may have been this Tarta de Queso from a pintxos bar in Old Town called La Viña.

Light, smooth and deliciously caramelized edges - we couldn't get enough.

We had multiple slices, every single day we were there. Nate even told me to take smaller bites and to slowly savor each bite. We've contemplated going back to San Sebastian just for the cheesecake. 

Rumor has it that the recipe includes goat cheese curd and yogurt. Now on a mission to recreate.

Dalmatian Coast

A visit to Croatia has been top on our list for years and finally this past week we took the much anticipated trip. What would you rather do than cruise clear Mediterranean waters in a canopied boat, jump overboard to cool off from hot Dalmatian sun, and dock for grilled squid?

While famous towns like Dubrovnik have their charm and never-ending histories ...

we've learned from our travels we much prefer a little bit off the beaten path, and in this case a bay perfect for a snorkel, swim, and sunbathe on the island of Korcula.

We rented a scooter and weaved our way down, certain that I'd be walking back up because we had the teeniest of engines, but the gods were in our favor and after a glorious afternoon we scooted up the mountain and around the island to Korcula's Old Town.

If the 3-masted sailing vessel in the port looks familiar, it might be because its the famous Le Ponant, which was seized by Somali pirates last April. Korcula's Old Town is leaf shaped and the streets run from the center outwards, like the ribs. The island of Korcula also claims to be the birthplace of Marko Polo. It would make sense that we has, but there is little evidence that proves or refutes the claim. 

Our days were spent on or in the water and when the sun said goodbye in the most glorious of sunsets, we roamed the Old Town under a massive moon, searching for local specialities. While Croatian cuisine didn't wow us, we did have some amazingly tasty grilled squid.

And some smaller ones, grilled and then smothered in olive oil, garlic, lemon and parsley.

It doesn't need much alongside, but maybe some fresh Croatian tomatoes and cucumbers. Good, crusty bread isn't easy to come by in Croatia, but we did get lucky one time. It helps to sop up all the delicious squid juices and garlicky olive oil.

Hot days mean smaller appetites so just a little ice cream or chilled Rozata (Croatian creme caramel) to finish off the perfect summer meal.

If you've got a grill at home, try grilling whole squid, its absolutely more delicious than fried calamari. Finish with good olive oil, garlic, parsley, and lemon wedges. 

Croatia is an amazing place and a must. Less than twelve hours after leaving we're already planning a return visit.

Seafood + Socca

The best part of traveling to beach towns is relaxing by the water...

And eating damn good seafood. Just a stones throw from Italy, Nice is the perfect place to execute one of Earth's most delicious combinations - seafood and pasta. Can I interest you in some clams + linguine...

 Or, fruits de mer + spaghetti?

What could be better than adding a bit of pasta? Fresh artichokes.

Like so - 

Grilled, succulent, baby octopus with artichoke, finished with a bit of fresh tomato and parsley. It's quite a problem that I only have one stomach and the metabolism I seemed to have in college has come to a screeching halt. But, you've got to make room for the local specialities and make promises to yourself that you'll do an extra few minutes on the treadmill when you return. Especially when I only have two days to enjoy what Nice has to offer.

Local to Nice is Socca - a thin, chickpea pancake cooked for a few minutes in a hot wood-fired oven. It starts as a very liquidy batter and olive oil.

It's then whisked together and pushed closer to the fire.

It puffs a little and browns. It's best tongue-burning hot right out of the wood-fired oven.

Its the ultimate Nice street food. If you're ever passing through Nice make sure you get some and its worth the wait to get a serving just out of the oven.