Taramosalata is the blushing star of the Greek meze table: a silky emulsion of salted fish roe (tarama), bread, olive oil and lemon — briny, tangy and impossible to stop scooping once the warm pita arrives.
It is the essential dish of Clean Monday, the start of Greek Lent, when the table goes meat-free but celebration continues undeterred.
The authentic color is pale pink to beige — neon-pink supermarket versions have dye to answer for. Made at home in ten minutes, it tastes like the seaside taverna you wish you were at.
Taramosalata Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes · Cook time: no cooking · Total: 10 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~118 per serving
Ingredients
- 4 oz tarama (salted cod or carp roe)
- 4 to 5 slices stale white bread, crusts removed
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- 1 small onion, finely grated (optional)
- Water, for soaking the bread
Instructions
- Soak the bread in water until soft, then squeeze it out well.
- Blend the tarama with the grated onion until smooth.
- Add the soaked bread gradually, blending after each addition.
- With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly, then the lemon juice, until creamy and smooth.
- Taste — more lemon is usually the right answer.
- Serve drizzled with olive oil, with warm pita or fresh vegetables.
Recipe Notes
- Tarama lives in jars at Greek and Middle Eastern markets — white (carp) tarama is prized for flavor.
- Soaked potato instead of bread makes a gluten-free version with a silkier body.
- It keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated, and improves overnight as the flavors marry.
