Taramasalata
Taramasalata is an emulsion, not a paste: the roe is whipped with bread and the oil added gradually, exactly as for mayonnaise. Pour it in at once and the mixture splits into an oily puddle with roe in it. And real taramasalata is pale pink rather than shocking pink — that colour comes from dye.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Rest
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 8
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 240 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Boiled potato (150 g) replaces the bread for a denser, gluten-free spread — heavier, but it works.
Makes: about 400 g, 8 portions
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Soak the bread
Cover the crumb with milk for 10 minutes and squeeze it out well. The bread is the base of the emulsion: without it the oil will not join the roe at all.
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Step 2: Blend roe and bread
Blitz the roe, squeezed bread, grated onion and a spoon of lemon juice for a minute, until smooth.
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Step 3: Add the oil drop by drop
With the blender running, pour the oil in the thinnest possible stream. The first 50 ml go in literally drop by drop — that is where the emulsion forms or breaks.
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Step 4: Alternate with lemon
Once the mixture pales and thickens noticeably, add the rest of the oil faster, alternating with lemon juice. The acid loosens it and lets more oil in.
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Step 5: Balance it
Taste: it should be salty, sharp and rich at once. Add no salt — the roe is very salty; if it is too much, work in another spoon of squeezed bread.
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Step 6: Chill an hour
An hour in the fridge thickens it and softens the flavour. Serve with pita or fresh bread.
Tips & variations
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Tip
If the emulsion splits, do not throw it out. Put a spoon of squeezed bread in a clean bowl and pour the split mixture into it in a thin stream, as you would rescue mayonnaise.
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Tip
Real tarama is pale beige. The vivid pink in tubs is the same roe with colouring, so a homemade version looks more modest.
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Swap
Boiled potato (150 g) replaces the bread for a denser, gluten-free spread — heavier, but it works.
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Storage
Three days under film in the fridge. It cannot be frozen: the emulsion falls apart.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 8 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 240 kcal | 1,920 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g | 32 g |
| Fat | 22 g | 176 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g | 56 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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