Fish Roe Dip (Greek Taramosalata)

Taramasalata or taramosalata is a Greek meze (appetizer) made from tarama, the salted and cured roe of the cod, carp, or grey mullet mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, and a starchy base of bread or potatoes, or sometimes almonds. Variants may include garlic, spring onions, or peppers, or vinegar instead of lemon juice. Kathara Deftera in Greece, is translated to Clean Monday. Basically it’s the first day of lent for the Greek Orthodox religion. Nutritionally it is important because it marks the beginning of the 40-day fast, which ends on Easter.

9 oz bread, without the crust, broken into 1" pieces
¼ cup water
9 oz carp or cod roe (not pink coloured, it should be light beige)
¼ cup onion, grated
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Garnish:
extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Put the bread in a bowl and sprinkle with ¼ cup water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water and put the bread in the bowl of a food processor, with the tarama, onion and lemon juice.

Pulse the tarama mixture until it begins to become smooth. With motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream and process until the mixture is very smooth. The taramosalata should be the consistency of a velvety hummus. Add enough water to loosen the mixture, if needed.

Spoon the taramosalata onto a wide shallow bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Serve the taramosalata on a platter with toasted pita bread.

Cook's Notes: 

• This version has a strong fish taste. You can make it milder by using less fish roe, try 4-5 oz of roe instead.
• For a creamier dip you can use mashed potatoes instead of bread. Boil the potatoes in cold water with the skin on for about 20 minutes. Peel them when they have cooled off.