Taramosalata (Fish roe salad - meze)

 Photo taken from Athinorama Umami

Taramosalata

There are also the Greek classics, think something like a dip but instead of using nachos or vegetables to eat them we use bread.

Taramosalata is one of those dishes.  It is roe fish blended into a creamy pink dip of pureed potatoes with parsley, lemon juice, and finely chopped onion (optional).  In meze, this is one of the first dishes that it is served.  In taverns, they always bring it along with salad, tzatziki, and tahini.  We will talk about the last two later.  Well, let’s see our recipe…

 

Ingredients

2 kg tarama (fish roe).

1 large potato or two small ones

450gr of Greek bread

1 tsp of shredded and dried onion

1 cup olive oil

The juice of one lemon (medium size)

Tarama is the hardest ingredient to find, so it is a good idea to look at groceries that import Mediterranean food.

It is usually sold in larger jars, but you can store the remainder in the freezer for months.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces. 

Boil them in water. 

Put just enough to cover them.  

They need to boil as long as it takes for them to be soft down to their core.

Instead of potatoes, you can use Greek bread. 

If you decide to use bread, use one that is stale. 

Get rid of the crust and soak the rest in water. 

Then drain it and leave it on an absorbent paper towel to dry thoroughly.  (I believe that using potatoes is better and easier.)

In a mixing bowl, mash together the potatoes (or bread) with the tarama.

Then add the shredded and dried onion. 

It's best that you use an electric mixer or blender for the mixing of ingredients, as you have to mix them very well.

Pour in seven equal doses and mix until fully absorbed before the next dosage.

Do not just dump them in, and then mix them, because the mixture is likely to turn into an eternal sea of oil with clumps of tarama and potato (and there's no way to fix that).

If you mix in gradually, the mixture will turn into a very nice, smooth dip.

If the mixture peaks, then pour in a little water until it's smooth again.

Chill the taramosalata in the refrigerator for a few hours (keep covered or the top will form a crust), and then serve cold.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am sure you will find Mediterranean cuisine very interesting.  All dishes can be accompanied by a good strong red wine.  Try to use a Mediterranean one since it will suit better the food taste.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.  You can always buy of course a Cyprus Cook Book, where you can find anything that you might feel you want to taste…

A quick video from the Cypriot Chef Christophoros Peskias