We have smoked cod’s roe available in the shop from Springs Smokery. With this you can make the most delicious taramasalata you have ever had. It’s nothing like the shop bought rubbish with it’s food colouring and filler, instead, it’s a smoky, fishy delicacy that makes ideal summer grazing while you imagine you are on a Greek island. (It’s hot enough!) This is my Mum’s recipe and you can mix it by hand for a courser texture, or blend to a consistency that you prefer.
A whole cod’s roe comes in two bladders, but we sell one bladder at a time in the shop (1/2 a cod’s roe).
- 2 Cod’s Roe Bladders. Remove the outer skin from the cod’s roe, which you should be able to peel off by hand.
- 1 stale slice of bread, ideally white sourdough but any stale leftovers, crust less, soaked in milk 10 minutes or til soft, then squeezed relatively dry.
- 1 large garlic clove crushed.
- Juice of 1 lemon (best quality you can buy as standard supermarket ones are unripe and too bitter which makes a huge difference to the overall flavour).
- Approximately 100ml olive oil. This depends on how dry or salty the cods roe is.
Put everything except oil into a blender on a slow speed to mix together so it doesn’t get pulverised. Slowly add the oil as for mayonnaise til amalgamated. Empty onto a plate or bowl and scatter smoked paprika over the top. Ideally should have a bit of oil poured round the bottom and topped off with an olive!
Grab toasted pitta bread or any toast and tuck in.