Today, I wish to share a dish that uses an ingredient that’s been harvested, salt-cured and enjoyed since Byzantine times. I find it amusing when some people try to predict food trends and declare a certain ingredient as “passe” when the cuisine and ingredient itself have survived the ages.

What is “Avgotaraho”? We’re talking about the sacs of roe that are harvested in Greece from the flat-head mullet (not to be confused with the red mullet). The Italians call this ingredient “Bottarga”, it figures prominent in Sicilian and Sardinian regional cuisine and you’ll likely find it labeled in finer food shops as “Bottarga”. The Japanese also enjoy their own version called, “Karasumi”.

Avgotaraho come from the Byzantine word, “outarahon”, a compound word for eggs and pickled fish. In Greece the mullet fish is culled from the large inland lagoon of Messolonghi. These waters are very shallow and Messonlonghi is also where the mullet go to spawn. This large lagoon is also ideal for the production of sea salt. Much of Greece’s sea salt comes from the Messolonghi.

After the mullet is caught, the twin sacs of roe are carefully removed by the fishermen and then they are left to rest covered in sea salt for a few hours. The roe has firmed up by this time and then they are rinsed in water and then placed in the hot, Greek sun for a final curing. The segments of roe will shrink by half and then they will be ready for the final step before the Avgotaraho reaches the consumer.

The Avgotaraho is then dipped in natural bees wax that forms a protective coating and offers the product a long shelf-life. After purchasing some Avgotaraho, the wax is removed and one can either thinly slice it like truffles or pass it through the fine side of your box grater. This briny delicacy can be served as part of a canape/appetizer on some thin crostinis or tossed in some thin pasta like spaghettini or spaghetti.

Think about the process of making Avgotaraho: nothing gets wasted from the fish, sea salt that’s harvested from the same waters that the mullet swam in are used and, beeswax (from anyone of the local Greek apiaries) are used to preserve this delicacy. The process of fishing, curing, drying and preserving Avgotaraho is a testimonial to the resourcefulness of Greek cuisine.

The Avgotaraho of Messolonghi is also a European and Greek protected desgination of orgin.

This delicacy is not cheap but it’s not like you’re going to use it in one sitting. A little goes a long way, as it’s concentrated, rich flavour will be a delight when you try on a crostini or like here, tossed in spaghetti.

The avgotaraho for this dish came to me courtesy of a reader of this blog and food enthusiast, Steve Courmanopoulos. Steve resides in Montreal and you may read and enjoy his thoughts at his blog, Kafeneio. I wish thank Steve for his generous and thoughtful gift and I dedicate this dish to him.

Avgotaraho Tossed in Pasta, Lemon Zest and Pistachios

(serves 4)

1 500gr. pkge of spaghetti

zest of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lime

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup of finely chopped unsalted pistachios

1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs (I make my own)

1/2 cup Greek extra-virgin oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup of grated Avgotarago +

some thinly-sliced Avgotaraho for garnish

fresh ground black pepper

1. Place a large pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and cooking to “al-dente” according to package instructions.
2. In the meantime, place a skillet over medium heat and add your minced garlic and allow its flavour to infuse the oil for 2-3 minutes, Now add your breadcrumbs and chopped pistachios and stir with a wooden spoon constantly. Keep stirring until the breadcrumbs toast-up and most of the oil is absorbed. Add some more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet.
3. Now add the lemon and lime zest and the chopped fresh parsley, stir to incorporate and reserve.
4. Carefully remove about an inch of wax from around the Avgotaraho. Grate finely with your box grater. If you need more Avgotaraho, remove some more wax and grate some more. Thinly slice some Avgotaraho to top each serving of pasta.
5. Wrap your remaining Avgotaraho well with plastic wrap and then wrap well with aluminum foil. Store in your fridge for future use.
6. When your pasta is cooked, drain well and add back in your pot. Add the breadcrumb mixture plus half your grated Avgotaraho, lemon juice and toss to coat the pasta well. Divide the pasta and plate. Drizzle with some extra-virgin olive oil, some fresh ground pepper and sprinkle the remaining grated Avgotaraho over each serving of pasta.
7. Serve with a Robola Melanbus white from the nearby island of Keffalonia.

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© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis