0 Cop CAPRI 25 - Caesar Augustus

GOURMET
58
fumo piuttosto forte per passare poi a un fumo
più leggero e a una temperatura di poco
superiore alla precedente. Alcuni durante
l’affumicatura aggiungono qualche goccia di
olio per migliorare il gusto del prodotto.
Molto ricercata è la bottarga. Le uova di tonno
vengono messe in salamoia per un tempo
che dipende dalle loro dimensioni. Successivamente
si mettono sotto sale con un peso
sopra, rigirandole quotidianamente e cambiando
il sale. Dopo 15-20 giorni si tolgono
dalla pressa, si lavano con acqua fresca, si
asciugano al sole e al vento per uno o due
giorni. Infine riposano in una stanza fresca.
Quando il prodotto è pronto per il consumo
è di un bel colore rosa più o meno intenso, di
sapore deciso. La bottarga si presta bene per
la preparazione di stuzzicanti tartine o viene
utilizzata sia grattugiata che a fettine per condire
pastasciutte dal deciso sapore di mare.
Su scala artigianale la bottarga viene prodotta
in tutte le regioni che si affacciano sul Tirreno.
Sembra che siano stati i Fenici ad inventarla,
ma furono gli Arabi a diffonderla in
tutto il Mediterraneo: “botarikh” significa
uova di pesce salato.
Nel corso dei secoli, le piccole comunità di
pescatori sono sopravvissute grazie al pesce
azzurro, alcune hanno prosperato con la pesca
del tonno. Per questo è uno dei pilastri
della cucina e del palato di Capri oltre che di
tutta la Campania. Oggi, riscoperto dall’alta
ristorazione rappresenta una scelta sicura per
il gusto, per la tasca e per la salute. ■
M. MAHOVLICH - MASTERFILE
nomadic phase the schools break up and the
fish move deeper down. Reproduction takes
place between the middle of July and second
half of September. The tuna is also unique in
being able to keep its body temperature around
ten degrees warmer than its skin temperature,
thanks to its highly evolved circulatory system.
The larger tuna weighing over 40 kilos are
bluefin tuna, while little tuna, albacore, bonito
and bullet tuna are smaller in size. Tuna meat
varies depending on which part of the body it is
taken from: the belly flesh is fattier and softer
than the back flesh, while the red muscular meat
has a more pronounced flavour.
The most frequent processing method involves
canning in oil. The tuna is bled, decapitated and
gutted in water, chopped into pieces, boiled in
salted water for approximately one and a half
hours. Once cooked the pieces are spread out
on the cannaria, a kind of wooden stretcher
made from cane, where they are left to dry out
for 24 hours at room temperature. After drying
the pieces are sliced and tinned. The tins are
filled with olive oil, sealed and sterilized for about
one and a half hours. Once they have cooled
down they are stored in the warehouse.
To smoke tuna, the fish is filleted and boned.
The fillets are laid on a bed of ground sea salt
and covered with a layer of salt about a
centimetre thick getting thinner towards the tail
section. Depending on their size, fillets are left
for a minimum of 12 and maximum of 24 hours.
If the flesh is still soft to the touch once the time
is up, the fish is left in the salt for a bit longer.
The fillets are then washed thoroughly and
smoked for 24 hours in strong smoke, followed
by a lighter, slightly hotter smoke. Sometimes a
drop of oil is added during smoking to improve
the flavour.
A much sought-after delicacy is bottarga. Tuna
roe is left in brine for varying periods of time
depending on its size. It is then cured with salt
and pressed (roe is turned and salt is replaced
daily). After 15-20 days the roe is removed from
the press, rinsed with cold water, and left to dry
in the sun and wind for a couple of days. The roe
is then left to rest in a cool room. Once ready for
use the product is a deep pink colour and has a
marked flavour. Bottarga is ideal for the
preparation of delicious appetizers or grated and
sliced to create pasta dishes with a pronounced
taste of the sea. It is produced artisanally
throughout the regions bordering the Tyrrhenian
Sea. Salted pressed roe was probably invented
by the Phoenicians although the Arabs diffused
its use throughout the Mediterranean: in fact
botarikh means salted roe.
Over the centuries, small fishing communities
have managed to survive thanks to bluefish;
others prospered by catching tuna. This is why
bluefish is one of the mainstays of Capri’s
cuisine as well as recipes throughout the
Campania region. Rediscovered by the top
restaurants, bluefish is a winner in terms of
taste, value for money and health. ■