Taramasalata

[Hazel at the Hill]

This week's culinary challenge is to make taramasalata (which is, for the ignoramus' amongst us, like me, is cod roe mashed up with bread and blended with oil).

I had a right game getting hold of cod roe, which I got from Morries' fish counter yesterday.

The queries are:

(1) the recipe (now I come to read it properly ) calls for smoked cod roe, and I don't know if this is - and whether it matters
(2) I asked the fish waller whether the roe could be frozen, and he said 'only if you cook it first' - well my recipe uses uncooked roe (I think?)

Am I getting this seriously wrong and wasted the grand sum of £1.44??

PS I have never eaten taramasalata so I have no idea how it should taste. I suspect that this may be a good thing - but I would prefer not to give myself food poisoning in the process.

[veggiechicken]

I love tarama and have made it - years ago. The pink coloured stuff they sell in tubs at the deli counter is nothing like the real thing.
Unfortunately I can't remember what sort of cod's roe I used - not sure that you can buy smoked cod's roe anyway- perhaps in tins?

[Vince G]

I heard the Greeks have suspended all production of taramasalata and houmus, due to the double dip recession!!

[veggiechicken]

That's awful, Vince - your joke that is!!!

[Vince G]

Seriously though folks, have found smoked cod roe in posh farm shops and not many other places. We have Jamie Oliver's mate Jimmy Doherty's place down the road from us and I think I've seen it in there at £ famous per pound.

Could you smoke a tin of John West's yourself?

[Vince G]

VC, I told that joke to someone on Friday, never imagined I'd get the chance to recycle it so soon !

Nobody eats cod roe these days. It was a really cheap alternative from the chippy when I was a nipper and I was delighted to see it in the chippy near our new house, so as much as I like a bit of haddock, me and Mrs Vince's monthly chippy treat means 2 cod roe and chips for me! Yum.....

[veggiechicken]

A quick goggle has lots of recipes using unsmoked roe - but also saw something about buying it in jars in Greek shops.

[veggiechicken]

VC, I told that joke to someone on Friday, never imagined I'd get the chance to recycle it so soon !

Bet they had a similar reaction to mine

[Vince G]

Yeh, bit of a tumbleweed moment.....I got my coat......

[Thelma Sanders]

You should use smoked cod roe if you can't get the carp roe or tarama in jars sold in most Greek Cypriot shops

[Hazel at the Hill]

Sounds like it's back to the drawing board for this particular recipe, and I'll have to use the stuff in the fridge for something else....

Thank you all!

[Dorothy rouse]

Here's a recipe for you Hazel, dead easy

225 gms smoked cod roe, skinned
180 ml olive oil
Juice /grated rind of 1 lemon
5 ml grated onion
15 ml chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Put roe in bowl with half oil and leave for 10 mins. Blend in blender until smooth, gradually adding in lemon juice and remaining oil.

Turn into bowl, stir in lemon juice,onion, parsley and pepper.

(Note- canned cods roe cannot be substituted for smoked in this recipe, fore a less rich mixture, add a few fresh breadcrumbs.)


Easy peasy.

[ancee]

You could always ask at your local chippie. They might be able to ask their fish suppliers for you. Most chippies are owned by Greeks - in our family anyway hahaha, I'm sure they'd help if they can You could also ask them for a taramasalata recipe too