Do you keep bottarga on hand?

I was perusing one of my Italian cookbooks and see many references to bottarga, the dried, salted roe of either tuna or gray mullet. I've never used it, nor have I ever tasted it in a restaurant. Do any of you keep it on hand and use it regularly? It's expensive, about $100 for two pieces of the dried gray mullet roe, which is covered in beeswax which you have to remove before using the bottarga.
So is it worth buying to experiment with? Which kind is better, the tuna or mullet? How long can you keep it? And does anyone have a reliable source? TIA--

[Jenise]

Ines, I've had only one encounter with bottarga that I can remember, and I remember it vividly. Along with tomatoes and sliced fresh fennel bulb, it was the topping on one of the best pizzas I've ever had, and that was at Otto, Mario Batali's Manhattan pizzeria. I have otherwise never even seen it for sale and have no idea where one would buy it in L.A. Don't recall seeing it at Serfas, for example--but I wasn't looking for it, either. Would be a good place to start.

I was perusing one of my Italian cookbooks and see many references to bottarga, the dried, salted roe of either tuna or gray mullet. I've never used it, nor have I ever tasted it in a restaurant. Do any of you keep it on hand and use it regularly? It's expensive, about $100 for two pieces of the dried gray mullet roe, which is covered in beeswax which you have to remove before using the bottarga.
So is it worth buying to experiment with? Which kind is better, the tuna or mullet? How long can you keep it? And does anyone have a reliable source? TIA--

Ines - I've seen it for sale here at Corti Brothers, but like you I have been put off by the price. I've seen enough in the way of interesting recipes that require it that I have made my "some day before I die I'll try this stuff" vow, but I haven't done it yet.

FWIW, Corti Brothers does mail order. They're at http://www.cortibros.biz/ They are not likely to be the least expensive source, though.

I've only had tuna so can't comment on the differences. It does not keep indefinitely so would buy and use within a month. I've only had it in a cryovac package. A small amount used like a condiment because of the $ is long on flavor.

It's expensive, about $100 for two pieces of the dried gray mullet roe

$100 for dried fish eggs?! My Grandpa is laughing his bony ass off in the grave right now...

$100 for dried fish eggs?! My Grandpa is laughing his bony ass off in the grave right now...

Isn't that the truth! I'd hate to buy $100 worth of salty fishy stuff that I might like but makes everyone else gag...

$100 for dried fish eggs?! My Grandpa is laughing his bony ass off in the grave right now...

Isn't that the truth! I'd hate to buy $100 worth of salty fishy stuff that I might like but makes everyone else gag...

Yep, I think there's a lot of trickery out there.

[Jenise]

$100 for dried fish eggs?! My Grandpa is laughing his bony ass off in the grave right now...

Isn't that the truth! I'd hate to buy $100 worth of salty fishy stuff that I might like but makes everyone else gag...

[Jenise]

Isn't that the truth! I'd hate to buy $100 worth of salty fishy stuff that I might like but makes everyone else gag...

What I had wasn't salty/fishy, or I'd have been the absolute first to gag on it. It was more that it gave the pizza we had a salty briney complexity--didn't taste like fish or anchovies, to name another fish product, at all.

Isn't that the truth! I'd hate to buy $100 worth of salty fishy stuff that I might like but makes everyone else gag...

What I had wasn't salty/fishy, or I'd have been the absolute first to gag on it. It was more that it gave the pizza we had a salty briney complexity--didn't taste like fish or anchovies, to name another fish product, at all.

From all accounts, the stuff does not taste at all like salty fish eggs. One of these days, I'll splurge and find out for myself.