The combination of ottarga with mild, buttery, and soft ingredients is particularly delightful. A moment of culinary inspiration occurred when the author encountered a ripe avocado on their kitchen counter. They decided to pair the two on crostini, sprinkled with coarsely ground black pepper and drizzled with olive oil. The ottarga provided sufficient saltiness, creating a harmonious blend of flavors. This has become the author’s favorite way to enjoy both avocados and bottarga. If you’re looking to acquire bottarga, specialty shops that sell smoked salmon and caviar often carry it. Alternatively, you can explore mail-order options from reliable sources. In case bottarga is not available, you can still enjoy the combination by topping each crostini with a small amount of anchovy, olive paste, or a sliver of sharp Pecorino cheese. These substitutes will provide different but equally delicious flavors to complement the avocado.
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
- 1 recipe Crostini
- A chunk of bottarga for shaving
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarsely mash the avocado. Spread it on the crostini.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- With a swivel-blade vegetable peeler or a sharp paring knife, shave off thin slices of bottarga; you want about 1 ounce.
- Place the bottarga on top of the avocado, sprinkle with pepper and a few drops of oil, and serve
