TARALLI CON BOTTARGA
Taralli, Whipped Bottarga
Taralli are pretzel-like crackers that are enjoyed in the south of Italy. They tend to be flavoured with poppy seeds or fennel seeds or simply with salt and are served with wine. The whipped bottarga, a cured cod roe, is a perfect accompaniment as it’s salty and almost sweet at once. This recipe uses colatura, an anchovy sauce that’s an Italian equivalent of the fish sauce found in Asian cooking. If you can’t find any, you can replace it with an anchovy instead.
Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients
Taralli
15 g fresh yeast, crumbled, or 1½ teaspoons dried yeast
¾ cup (180 ml) warm water (43°C)
¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine, warmed to 43°C
1½ cups (225 g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 cups (320 g) semolina flour
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
Pinch of salt and cracked black pepper
Whipped Bottarga
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh chopped long red chilli
125 g bottarga, roughly chopped, plus extra for grating
100 ml fish stock
5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon colatura or 1 anchovy
Method
To make the taralli, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and stir in the warmed wine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Turn onto a lightly floured workbench and knead for a few minutes or until smooth. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside in a warm place to prove for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into small pieces and, working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a long pencil shape, about the thickness of your pinky. Cut the dough into 25 g pieces and overlap the ends, pressing them together to join and form an oval.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced). Line 2–3 large baking trays with baking paper.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add the taralli a few at a time. When they rise to the top, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Arrange the boiled taralli on the prepared trays in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. They will keep for a few days in an airtight container.
To make the whipped bottarga, heat the olive oil in a small heavy-based saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 5–6 minutes without allowing them to colour. Add the bay leaf, chilli and bottarga and sauté for 3–4 minutes to bring out the flavours. Deglaze the pan with the stock and bring to the boil.
Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaf and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a small food processor or blender, add the extra virgin olive oil and colatura and blend until smooth. Set aside to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To serve, bring the whipped bottarga to room temperature, spoon into a bowl and grate the extra bottarga over the top. Serve with the taralli.
