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| Paella Valenciana | Page 3 of 7 |
 Simon
Bottarga is the salted, sundried roe of grey mullet, from Sardinia. In texture, it's as firm and moist as Tom Cruise after a bath. Buy it from the source - the fish market at Caligari. We do a Bottarga Run every March, arriving at the market no later than six in the morning, when the fishermen are still wet. The sweet spot is tennis racquet nirvana. You'll know when the ball has hit that most perfect spot on the strings. You'll hear and feel a marvellous 'ping'. Jose Luis taught me the term and it's changed my life. Now, whenever I drink a new wine, I hope and pray that the tannins and mouthfill hit my 'sweet spot' and the wine just 'pings' off my tongue. The Vina Hernandez Rioja Reserva 1994 (Loftus & Whitelady, £19.99) hits the sweet spot perfectly. (Jose Luis pronounced it 'thweet thpot', which for some reason Minty found absolutely hilarious.) Sherryish nose, velvet mouthfill, notes of cherry, strawberry and leather, and that gorgeous woodsmoke and tobacco finish, like liquid Spanish fags.
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