By Antonio Carluccio and Priscilla Carluccio
Published 1997
“Tonnare” is the system of nets used by fishermen in Calabria and Sicily to catch tuna. These nets are placed in the sea in such a way as to channel shoals of tuna so that they cannot escape and they are then harpooned. It is a pretty messy way of catching fish, but one trip can produce tons and tons of tuna fish. The canning of tuna fish probably first came into existence as a way to cope with these sudden gluts.
When tinned, tuna fish is eaten in a totally different way to the fresh variety and can be used in sauces and antipasti. Fresh tuna, on the other hand, is eaten in a similar way to swordfish, sliced and usually grilled as a steak, or cooked with tomato sauce. Tuna can be eaten raw like carpaccio, providing the meat is very fresh, and can also be eaten as mosciame — air-dried fillets. Ventresca or the belly of the tuna was often salted in barrels or canned as a particular delicacy. When tuna roes are salted and air-dried they are known as bottarga di tonno.
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