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Taramosalata Without Bread or Potato

One of the many highlights of the Greek table are the array of dips and spreads. Dips and spreads are often called salads (salates) in Greek and they pair wonderfully with our food culture that depends on bread so much.

Greeks are scooping, mopping and dipping with breads. Taramosalata is a dip made from fish roe (eggs). Taramosalata is one one of the most famous of the Greek dips and widely enjoyed by Greeks and others familiar with Greek food.

At the market, you will find a red and a white tarama. The white tarama usually comes from the grey mullet and it’s more expensive than it’s red counterpart. For this recipe, white tarama is recommended but if you can only find the red variety, the recipe once again works out fine.

My family’s Taramosalata recipe includes onions and bread in the mix and other families use potato. What makes this recipe unique is that only tarama (the roe), olive oil, lemon juice are utilized.

My new friend and Greek cookbook author Maria Loi passed on this recipe to me. I was skeptical but I’ll try anything once and besides…I had a jar of tarama just sitting in the fridge.

I add some grated onion into the mix and my personal touch with a couple of drops of Liquid Smoke. The key points to this recipe are to soak the roe (tarama) in water to draw out the saltyness, whiz the tarama in a food processor (on high speed) until the it becomes creamy and then ever-so-slowly, add your stream of extra-virgin olive oil.

Everyone has their personal tastes when it comes to Taramosalata…some like it briny with a brilliant fish taste, others preferring something mellower. While adding your steady stream of olive oil, add the lemon juice in stages as well. Taste as you go and that way you’ll be able to rectify the flavour of Taramosalata that you prefer.

Taramosalata Without Bread or Potato

1/2 cup of tarama (white tarama recommended)

2 cups of olive oil

the juice of a large lemon

1/4 cup chopped white onion (optional)

some liquid smoke (optional)

Black olives and lemon wedges for garnish

  1. Place your tarama in a bowl and fill up with enough water to just cover your roe. Allow the tarama to soak in the water for an hour to remove the salty flavour.
  2. Empty your tarama in a strainer and allow to drain-off for a couple of moments. Now add your strained tarama into your food processor and process on “high” until the roe becomes a light  colour, few eggs are visible and in the end, has become a creamy emulsification.
  3. With the food processor still running on high, slowly add your stream of olive oil. You may add your lemon juice in stages and stop to taste and adjust according to your personal preference.
  4. The end result of your Taramosalata will be a thick and fluffy mixture that will resemble the consistency of a mayonnaise.
  5. Place your Taramosalata in a serving dish and garnish with a black olive and some lemon wedges. Serve with pita bread or crusty baguette.
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31 Responses

  1. While I’ve never ventured making it at home, it is the first dip my pita goes to when I’m in a restaurant. I like that some families use bread, others potatoes and each has their own little signature technique like you with liquid smoke. Makes it all the more interesting for the next time I eat it out…trying to figure out which ingredients were used. Hope you’re enjoying your vacation…how could you not!?

  2. I eat so much hummus and never ever tire of it. It is so hard though to find those really good black olives. I have to go to Whole Foods for them.

  3. Yum, good for you for making your own. We tried taramosalata for the first time this summer and loved it!
    We got the jar though, the Greek Canadian one.. Kyra..- something?

  4. Great looking recipe. I adore taramosalata, although I’ve never seen tarama for sale here. Have to visit one of the Greek markets!

  5. The ingredients are so interesting. In the photo it looks like a simple spread but I bet these flavors are so much more complex than it looks.
    LL

  6. This dip sounds wonderful. Love your addtions of onion and smoke. We are dippy people in our home too and once you get that technique of adding olive oil slowly there is an array of many dips to whip up. I love the simplicity of this recipe!

  7. Hello, called in from Cheryl,
    love your site and will be visiting again, please visit mine, I’m sure you’ll find it interesting. Jude

  8. Oh my gosh, I’ve been on blogging hiatus for about a month, and when I logged in here tonight and saw this dip, well I just about crawled through the screen! I’ve never seen anything like this! I’d sure love to give this a try. There are so few ingredients, but I bet the flavor punch is terrific. YUM!

      1. Thanks Peter, next time i am in TO I will pick some up, I am in the Niagara Falls area, love the website just came across it. Looking forward to trying your souvlaki.

  9. Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been looking for a variation of taramosalata that does not have a high carb content, like from bread or potato. I’m excited to give this one a try! I’m wondering – do you think a large batch of this could be made ahead of time and frozen?

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