Cod’s Roe

[Pam Brunning]

I bought a lovely looking cod’s roe weighing over a pound. I brined it and smoked it and have just made taramasalata with 4ozs but it is rather bitter. I have added more bread and oil but it is still not good. Anyone any ideas of how to get rid of the bitterness in the rest of it. I suspect it should have been done before I cured and smoked it?

The trouble is I didn’t think to try it raw.

[nickloman]

I did the same thing recently (http://nickloman.tumblr.com/post/2765302946/home-made-taramasalata-fresh-cod-roe-cured-over) - it was a little bitter but not unacceptably so. I am not sure how you would make it less bitter - perhaps longer curing and/or soaking afterwards? Obviously need to remove any trace of green bile. Is it less bitter if fresher?

Perhaps it's just one of those things.

I think you do need a fair amount of bread and oil.

[gfweb]

My instinct (but not experience) says to soak it in milk.

[OnigiriFB]

I'd ask over on the japanese cooking thread Hiroyuki is usually great with little tips to help with seafood.

[helenjp]

I did actually check Japanese sources, and it's very likely indeed that Hiroyuki would have some good ideas.

The only thing I found was that immature (underripe) roes can be bitter, and I have indeed tasted slightly bitter ones. The only recommendation was to cook them, because heat makes them somewhat less bitter. Apparently it's hard to identify an immature roe by sight alone anyway.