Recipe: Fregola with Clams and Bottarga (Cured Fish Roe)

Cured Fish Roe or Bottarga is a Mediterranean delicacy very popular in Sardinia, as the Fregola which is a kind of pasta from Sardinia too. So with my friends at L'Isola d'Oro, I have used two of its products to make this delicious, comforting and healthy dish.

We will need Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I have used this one from Bono, with olives from Sicily that givens a hint of tomato. A packet of fregola that you can find in any or most Italian delis and I have seen it at Borough Market too, cherry tomatoes, a bay leaf, garlic, chilli, a vegetable stock and then a jar of L'Isola d'Oro Clams and a jar of L'Isola d'Oro Bottarga. Products from L'Isola d'Oro can be found at Fratelli Camisa online.

While I prepare the broth with the vegetable stock, I am going to heat a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a wok with the bay leaf, two cloves of garlic.

Cut in quarters the cherry tomatoes and add them to the wok. They need to be soft and well mixed with the oil.

Then add the fregola and toast it well mixing it with a wooden spoon so it will get all the flavour of the tomatoes.

Start adding the broth like you were cooking a risotto, stirring  to let absorb the liquid. The fregola will cook slowly taking the broth and will keep a semi dry consistency.

When it is quite ready, taste the fregola to check that it is cooked and add a spoonful of Bottarga L'Isola d'Oro that comes in a nice glass jar  and you don't have to grate it on the spot.

After stirring in the Bottarga add the Clams L'Isola d'Oro.

Mix well so that all the clams are evenly spread out and switch off the hob to avoid to have sticky fregola and rubbery clams.

Fregola is ready, just drizzle with a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some chopped parsley. www.lisoladoro.it