I adore making homemade taramasalata so thought perhaps you may too. For the uninitiated it is smoked cod’s roe made into a loose pate of sorts. Traditionally it is made with smoked mullet roe, but I tend to opt for cod’s roe, which you can find (or certainly request) from any fishmonger. I bought 300g which, with the skin removed,  came to 280g.

The store bought taramasalata is normally a lot pinker, but this is not it’s natural colour. You can of course add a pinch of paprika to give it more of a pink hue and a lovely flavour, but I tend to go au-natural and keep it in it’s natural colour.

It’s great for lunch, perhaps with a bowl of my homemade hummus too and some crisp bread and fresh vegetables to munch alongside.

People often ask about the bitter taste when making your own. The way to bypass this is to soak the cod’s roe, in its skin, in cold water for a couple of hours.

Taramasalata

makes a bowlful

280g smoked cod’s roe, skinned (after soaking)

4 slices of white bread (2 if they are large pieces)

3 small cloves of garlic

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

juice of 1/2 lemon

freshly ground back pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp sunflower oil

1. First soak the smoked cod’s roe in a bowl of cold water for a couple of hours.
2. Then remove the skin and place in a blender.
3. Add all the ingredients, except the oil, and blitz.
4. Add the oils slowly so that it loosens the taramasalata.
5. Taste test and add a little more lemon if required. If it is too loose simply add an extra piece of bread to thicken it.

Serve with crisp bread or fresh vegetables – such as carrots, celery and radishes .