Pike roe taramasalata recipe. Easy to make, simple ingredients.

Pike roe taramasalata recipe. Easy to make, simple ingredients.

Cod roe isn’t readily available throughout Romania, therefore cod taramasalata is not such a popular dish. But Romanians eat almost all freshwater fish, as a matter of fact I don’t know of a freshwater fish that they don’t actually eat, (goldfish maybe), and carp roe as well as pike roe taramasalata is widely consumed and appreciated.

There’s also quite a plethora of shop sold products that could be called taramasalata, made using herring roe mixed with carp, but with a low roe content, and the quality could be quite poor because of “bulking”, the adding of additional ingredients such as breadcrumbs or semolina flour to the mix.

My own pike roe taramasalata uses carp roe as a base. They are smaller in size, they “cream” better and widely available (if you’re in the country or have a Romanian shop nearby), also quite cheaper. But, I also used quite a large proportion of pike roe. These are larger in size, much more expensive and harder to get hold of.

Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make. No need for a mixer, blender or any other kitchen gadgets, just a wooden spoon.

As you can see from the list of ingredients, the proportion I’ve used for the carp and pike roe is two to one. The carp roe are the bulk of the taramasalata. So, just mix the two types of roe together in a bowl, keeping aside just one teaspoon of pike roe for the end.

Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon (lime works also well). Mix with a wooden spoon, pouring in the sunflower oil little by little, just like making mayonnaise. The roe could be quite salty, as they are preserved usually in salt, so don’t add any salt. How much oil you use is really up to you. The roe can take quite a bit, but you’ll get less flavour and texture.

Once is nice and creamy, taste and should it need it, add more lemon juice, again it’s up to you. If they are too salty, mix in some more oil. Finely chop the onion and mix it in. Or if you prefer, just keep it aside to add it on top.

Pike roe taramasalata is usually served with toasted bread or big croutons, and any vegetables you like. A drizzle of oil on the top is also optional.

Other popular recipes in this category:

• Best Romanian chicken paprikash with flour dumplings.
• Traditional cabbage rolls (sarmale) stuffed with minced pork and smoked meats.
• Chicken and noodles soup.

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