Growing up in a Greek household, taramasalata was never something you bought from a shop. Yiayia made it from scratch, and it was nothing like the pale pink stuff you find at the supermarket. The real deal is blushing, creamy, deeply tangy and full of flavour from the fish roe. We make a big batch on Good Friday at home – it's a Lenten staple in the Greek Orthodox tradition – and serve it with crusty bread, olives and a glass of something cold.
At the store we sell a beautiful version, but making your own is something else entirely. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so it's a brilliant thing to have ready to go for when people drop in.
Taramasalata
Serves 6–8 as a dip
You'll need
- 100 g white taramasalata (fish roe paste)
- 4 thick slices of day-old white bread, crusts removed
- juice of 1–2 lemons
- ½ small white onion, roughly chopped
- 250 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- crusty bread or crackers, to serve
How to make it
Soak the bread in cold water for a few minutes, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Place the tarama, squeezed bread, lemon juice and onion in a food processor and blitz until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
With the motor still running, pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream – just like making mayonnaise. The taramasalata will become pale, creamy and emulsified. Taste and add more lemon juice as needed; it should have a lovely tangy finish.
Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. It will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving with crusty bread or your favourite crackers.
This recipe is from The Fishmonger's Son Cookbook — available in-store at 781 Nicholson Street, Carlton North — come and say hello.