A speciality of Sicily, this is a prized cut of tuna, almost as valued as ventresca, now rarely found. It is a 'fillet' obtained from the central, the most muscular and thick part of the fish. It is softer and tastier than ventresca and where this cut is identified, it is sliced, preserved in oil and tinned.
Taranto is a town and port of Puglia, the region in the heel of the Italian boot, known for its oysters.
Marcella Hazan describes this late-harvest radicchio, with its glossy white ribs with a frill of intense red, as the "noblest member" of the radicchio family, It appears around November and is good in salads but not to be overlooked as an ingredient for risotto or as an accompaniment to meats either braised, baked or grilled.
