Real Filetes Ovas de Atum (Dried Pressed Tuna Roe)

Real Filetes Ovas de Atum are dried and pressed tuna roe, a traditional cured seafood of the Algarve and Andalusian coast, sliced thin like bottarga. A small piece goes a long way: this is a chef's ingredient that is just as good straight on a plate with olive oil.

Flavour and texture

Amber to deep orange, firm and waxy. The taste is intense: salty and briny at first, then rich and savoury, with a slightly bitter, lingering finish that wakes up the palate.

How to enjoy it

Slice thin and serve with olive oil and almonds, or with a few drops of lemon on toast. Grate it over spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, or over scrambled eggs. Pour a chilled Alvarinho, an Arinto from Bucelas or a dry white Port.

About dried tuna roe

Salting and drying tuna roe is an old tradition of the Algarve and Andalusian coast, from the same tuna fishing culture that gave us muxama. The roe sacs are salted, pressed and dried until firm enough to slice, a close cousin of Italian bottarga.

Good to know

• Keep it in a cool, dry place or in the fridge, wrapped. Once cut, cover the cut face and keep it in the fridge.
• Dried and pressed, sold as a piece. Slice it very thin or grate it.
• A rare taste of the Portuguese south coast to bring home.