Scallop Roe Bottarga

Scallop roe bottarga is a condiment made with fresh roe, lots of salt and time. It’s wonderful grated on almost anything, adding a lovely briny flavor.

I’ve got to admit that while I love fresh scallops and we buy them from time to time when we are here in the Channel Islands, I’m not really a fan of the roe. I’ve tried cooking it with the scallops but even a bunch of garlic can’t help me get over the texture. They’re just kinda spongy. 

So every time I take them off and discard them, I feel bad. The ones here are so plump and pretty - such a vibrant orange! - that it seems a shame to waste them. A couple of years ago, I was in Phoenicia supermarket in Houston with its great deli counter and stacked shelves of tasty imported goods when I came across bottarga. I had never heard of it before. 

I looked it up when I got home. Bottarga is the salted, cured, dried pouch of fish roe, most commonly from the grey mullet or bluefin tuna. According to my search, it’s an ancient delicacy dating back to Phoenician and Egyptian times, and it remains a staple in Mediterranean cooking, especially in Italy, Sardinia, and Greece.

Well, the small piece of bottarga in the deli section of Phoenicia was quite expensive for something I’d just like to try, so I left it behind but, when faced with throwing out yet more scallop roe, I remembered and it occurred to me that roe is roe, after all, and maybe I could make my own bottarga. 

Turns out I’m not the first person to have this idea because I came across a few recipes/instructions for salting and curing scallop roe and I decided to give it a try. Took me two attempts to get the timings right but I was very pleased with the end result. 

Scallop Roe Bottarga

Avoid cooking or heating bottarga directly, instead, add it as a finishing touch to hot dishes. My recipe is adapted from one on Peckham Kitchen. 

Ingredients

Trimmed scallop roe

Sea salt

Time

Patience!

Method

Soak the roe for 24 hours in a 10% salt solution, i.e. 10g salt for every 100ml cold water, in the refrigerator. 

The next day, remove the roe from the salt water, drain and pat dry with paper towels. 

On a deep plate or shallow bowl where the roe will fit in a single layer, pour sea salt flakes to create a flat, even bed for the roe. Place the roe on top in one layer. Cover the roe with more salt. Place the plate in the refrigerator.

After 24 hours, remove the roe from the salt. Gently brush away any salt that has stuck to it. Mine was completely wet and the salt dissolved both times I made this. I tipped the bowl for this photos so you can see the liquid pooled on the side, if you squint just right. 

Pat the roe dry. Rinse the plate, discarding the salt and any liquid that has collected. 

Wash and dry the plate and cover it with fresh salt. Add the roe and cover it with salt as well. Return the plate to the refrigerator.  

Repeat this process for several days after which time the roes should have firmed up. The first time I made scallop roe bottarga, I did this for four days and determined that a whole week would result in firmer roe. So that’s what I did the second time. 

The traditional method to dry the roe further so it can be grated, is to place it in a single layer of cheesecloth and hang in a cool dry place for 10 to 15 days. This would no doubt work if you have a cool, dry place. Summertime on an island was not ideal. 

I chose a more modern method which is what I recommend if you have access to a dehydrator. Dehydrate the roe, covered in whatever salt is still stuck to them, at 122°F or 50°C for 48 hours. The first batch, with its shorter salting time, needed longer to dry out.

I store mine, still covered in its light layer of salt, in a glass container in the refrigerator, brushing off all of the salt well when I want to grate some. It keeps for ages like that. 

Using a sharp grater, like a microplane, you can sprinkle bottarga on anything that needs a little saltiness – where you might add Parmesan, perhaps - with the added bonus of a delightful briny, marine flavor. It’s magical on buttered pasta! Or scrambled eggs. Or risotto.

Enjoy! 

I grated the one I'd rubbed free of salt for these photos. Isn't the color marvelous! Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 19th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter S. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the S recipes below:

• Buttery Deviled Eggs with Celery & Shrimp from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells from Blogghetti
• Sago Idli Sabbakki Idli from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Sai Bhaji from Mayuri’s Jikoni 
• Salted Crispy Oatmeal Cookies from A Messy Kitchen 
• Scallop Roe Bottarga from Food Lust People Love
• Sear Roasted Steak from Karen’s Kitchen Stories 
• Sesame Scallion Star from Magical Ingredients
• Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers and Onions from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Squash Blossom Crêpes from Culinary Cam 
• Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Vrat Siddu With Walnut Chutney from Sneha’s Recipe 

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties 

Q. Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers 

R. Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels 

S. Scallop Roe Bottarga - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Scallop Roe Bottarga!

.

Miso Gochujang Peanut Roasted Eggplant

A lovely side dish, suffused with flavor, this miso gochujang peanut roasted eggplant is super easy to make. Crushed peanuts add a welcome crunch!

If you’ve been reading along here for a while, you probably know that, like a lot of children, I did not like, detested, abhorred eggplant growing up. That all changed when my mom’s close friend, Lilian, a second generation Italian American made her eggplant parmigiana for me. 

The thing is, eggplant is relatively tasteless until you add seasonings or spices to it. But, now as an adult, I realize that is one of its best attributes! Just about every cuisine worldwide has eggplant dishes in its repertoire, with their own twist of spices, sauces and fillings. It’s so adaptable, adding extra hidden veg to sauces and stews or being the star of a dish.

Last summer a good friend gave me a new cookbook, Dominique’s Kitchen by Dominique Woolf who was the winner of Jamie Oliver’s show The Great Cookbook Challenge, where 18 contestants cooked to win a contract to publish their cookbooks. It is, as described in its tagline, “easy everyday Asian-inspired food.”

Dominique shares a recipe for a roasted eggplant dish with garlic, soy sauce, gochujang and honey that sounded intriguing. I bookmarked it but never quite got around to making it. Then recently, I read Ella Risbridger’s new cookbook, The Kitchen Book and came across her recipe for eggplant, roasted whole, with garlic, miso and sesame oil. This recipe is my mash up of the two. 

Miso Gochujang Peanut Roasted Eggplant

As mentioned above, this recipe is adapted from two recipes, one in The Kitchen Book by Ella Risbridger and another from Dominique’s Kitchen by Dominique Woolf. I highly recommend both books. 

Ingredients

2 eggplant (My two weighed 1 lb 10 ½ oz or 754g)

2 tablespoons sesame oil 

2 fat cloves garlic

3 tablespoons unsalted butter 

2 teaspoons miso 

1 tablespoon gochujang 

1/3 cup or 50g shelled, roasted peanuts 

Cilantro leaves, to garnish, optional

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and line a baking pan with baking parchment or a silicone liner.

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to cut a diamond pattern in the flesh, taking care not to pierce the skin.

Put them on your prepared baking pan and brush the eggplant with the sesame oil. 

Put the pan in your preheated oven. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the eggplant are soft and blistered. I did five minutes on broil/grill at the end.

Meanwhile, peel then grate the garlic cloves into a small heatproof bowl. Add the butter. 

Microwave in 10 second bursts until the butter is melted. (It took mine just one minute.) Swirl every 10 seconds.

Stir in the miso and gochujang until smooth.  

Crush the peanuts in a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin in a bag. You want some fine dust and some small bits. 

Take the roasted eggplant out of the oven. 

Fork the flesh to break it up. 

Spoon over the garlic-miso-gochujang butter, and fork it right through. 

Sprinkle with the crushed peanuts. 

Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday Fun and today we are sharing recipes with peanuts and/or peanut butter in celebration of National Peanut Day which is today! Many thanks to our host, Amy from Amy’s Cooking Adventures. Check out the link list below.

• Congress Kadlekai Spiced Peanut Snack by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Homemade Butterfingers by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Miso Gochujang Peanut Roasted Eggplant by Food Lust People Love
• Peanut Butter Muffins by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Skrewball Brownies by A Messy Kitchen
• Thai Chicken Pasta Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Vrat Shengdanyachi Amti - Peanut Curry by Sneha's Recipe
• Warm Peanut Butter Sauce for Dipping by Our Good Life

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Miso Gochujang Peanut Roasted Eggplant!

.

 

Small Batch Sourdough Bagels #BreadBakers

Made with active starter, these small batch sourdough bagels are boiled then baked for the chewy bite we all look for and love in a good bagel. 

It’s been a while since I’ve made bagels since we spend some much time during the year in Houston, where my hometown favorite New York Bagels, the best bagels of my childhood, are available a mere drive away. 

But since this month’s Bread Bakers host chose bagels as our theme, I decided I couldn’t miss the chance to try my hand at sourdough bagels. I am very pleased with how these turned out and, at least while we are in the Channel Islands, I’m sure I’ll make them again. 

Small Batch Sourdough Bagels

This recipe makes six bagels. I sprinkled mine with poppy seeds but you can choose whatever toppings you fancy. Or leave them plain. I adapted this recipe from one on Kimmy’s Joyful Kitchen.

Ingredients

For the bagel dough:

½ cup or 125g active sourdough starter

2 1/3 cups or 291g all-purpose flour

½ cup or 60g whole wheat flour

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 teaspoons unsulfured molasses or treacle 

2/3 cup or 156ml cold water – you may not use all of it

1 teaspoon olive oil for greasing the mixing bowl before proofing

For boiling the bagels:

1 tablespoon molasses

2 teaspoons baking soda

Method 

Make sure you use an active starter, one that has been fed within the last 12 hours and stored at a temperature between 70-80°F or 21-26°C.

Add the sourdough starter to the bowl of your stand mixer, along with the flours, molasses, salt and just a ½ cup or 120ml of the water. 

Use the dough hook to mix the ingredients to form a ball of dough. It takes a few minutes to come together and you might need to add just a little bit more water, if the dough is too stiff or dry. I ended up adding two tablespoons and the dough was perfect. 

Knead for about five minutes, then take the dough out of the bowl and continue to knead the dough by hand for a couple more minutes, then form the dough into a tight ball. Oil the mixing bowl with and place the dough ball in it. Roll it around to coat.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plastic shower cap. Leave to sit at room temperature, ideally 70-80°F or 21-26°C for 6 hours. 

After 6 hours, put the covered bowl with the dough in the refrigerator for a slow overnight rise. 

In the morning, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and leave it to rest at room temperature for about an hour. 

Divide the dough into six pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball with your cupped hand.

I like to weigh the whole ball of dough then weigh the individual pieces to get them more even but if you want to eyeball it, go ahead. My dough weighed 620g so each piece was either 103 or 104g. 

Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 10 minutes. 

To shape the bagels, lightly flatted each ball. Make holes in the center by sticking your thumb through and gently easing the hole open with thumb and fingers. Twirl the dough around on your finger to enlarge the hole.

Place the bagels on a parchment or silicone liner covered baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 3-5 hours or until doubled in size.

It was a warm day so mine took about three hours to double. 

When you are ready to boil and bake, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Bring a large pot of water (about 2 quarts or just shy of 2 liters) with 1 tablespoon molasses and 2 teaspoons baking soda to a slow boil. 

Place one bagel in the pot and boil on each side for just 45 seconds or so. 

Return the bagel to the baking sheet and top with your favorite bagel topping right away, or leave them plain. 

Repeat this for each bagel. Once all the bagels have been boiled and decorated, put the baking pan in your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. 

Mine were in for 27 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before cutting. 

We love ours with cream cheese. 

Enjoy!

It’s the second Tuesday of the month which means it’s time for my Bread Bakers friends to share recipes. This month, as I mentioned above, we are baking bagels. Many thanks to our host, Renu of Cook with Renu. Check out the links below. 

• Sourdough Bagel Bites from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cinnamon Crunch Bagels from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Everything Bagel Sandwich with Halloumi and Pickles (Homemade Bagels) from Cook with Renu
• Keto Cottage Cheese Bagels from Sneha's Recipe
• Gluten Free Onion Bagels from Passion Kneaded
• Small Batch Sourdough Bagels from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Blueberry Bagels from A Messy Kitchen

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin these Small Batch Sourdough Bagels!

.