Roe, roe, roe my boat

Everybody is show their love by enjoy eating

Roe of fish is taste great!

If you’ve been following this blog from the beginning, you may have noticed my slight obsession with fish roe, particulary mentaiko, the hyped-up, spiced-up version or tarako (haddock roe).

Mentaiko are only one of the many types of egg-straordinarily delicious occidental pre-embryonic delights. But even more than ikura (salmon roe that provide a little squirt of juiciness that is to die for) and tobiko (flying fish roe that adorn the outside of many an inside-out roll), my heart belongs to mentaiko. (By the by, if you’re in the Lower Mainland, the sockeye are running this weekend, so get out there and buy some local fish and fish roe! I dunno about you, but by Monday, I hope to be buried in a mound of ikura and have to eat my way out.)

Nothing really can beat the adaptability of mentaiko to a variety of cuisines. Salty, spicy, and with that little bit of “pop!” that roe so satisfyingly gives in your mouth, it’s well worth overlooking its’ veiny and rather off-putting appearance. Available in Vancouver at the Korean supermarket H-Mart, and at Vancouver’s largest Japanese food store, Fujiya, this salty treat just needs to defrost before use. Use it sparingly – just one egg sac will deliver enough salt, spice, and texture for 3 – 4 people, depending on how it’s used in the dish.

If you haven’t tasted it before, and aren’t sure if you want to invest in buying a whole box before you know you like it, give it a try in the yaki-udon at Vancouver izakaya chain Zakkushi.

Ready to give it a try? Here are some suggested uses. And relax – it’s SUPER easy to use, and absolutely tasty.

Recipe 1: The Basic Mentaiko – Mentaiko on Rice

They say that simple is best, and if you really like mentaiko like I do, all you need is the accompaniment of a bowl of white rice.

Mentaiko on Rice

How to make Mentaiko on Rice

1. Defrost one egg sac of mentaiko overnight in the fridge.
2. Cut the egg sac into 4 pieces and place one on each bowl of hot white rice (or a mixture of half brown, half white rice). If you are averse to eating the casing (it’s very thin, but some people might find it hard to take, looks-wise) slice open the sac and spoon about a quarter of the eggs into a small pile on your rice. Enjoy!

Recipe 2: Mentaiko on toast

Another example of mentaiko matched with a favourite carb, the Japanese enjoy eating it on a french baguette (you’ll find mentaiko furansu-pan at most Japanese bakeries)

Mentaiko toast on the far right

How to make Mentaiko on Toast:

1. Generously butter and then spread mentaiko on either sliced bread or on a halved small French baguette.
2. Grill in the oven or toaster oven until bread is crusty and mentaiko has cooked through (it will change colour to a light pink when cooked). Enjoy!

Recipe 3: Wa-fu (Wa-hooo!) Mentaiko Pasta

“Wa-hooo!” for wa-fu (literally “Japanese style”) pasta – a treat that takes the best of both Italian and Japanese cuisines and comes up with something out of this world. There are a whole schwack of wa-fu pasta recipes out there, but mentaiko is a perennial favourite.

Mentaiko Pasta

How to make Wahoo! Mentaiko Pasta

1. Defrost the one to two sacs of mentaiko overnight in the fridge. Once fully defrosted…
2. Boil spaghetti  for 4 in plenty of water. Once cooked al-dente, drain the spaghetti and set aside.
3. In a frying pan over medium heat, add about 2 Tbsp. butter or oil, the mentaiko, spaghetti, and about 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 3 – 4 Tbsp Japanese mayo, tossing and adjusting soy sauce and mayo to taste.
4. Serve hot, garnished with sliced shiso herb or shredded dried nori.

Want more details? Go HERE for the full recipe.

Come on, let’s roe our boats together for salty MENtaiko!

Wahoo! Mentaiko Pasta!

Feeling “pop!” of salty, small balls in mouth is always delight

Especially with accompaniment of noodle

Mixes best with the creamy sauce to make milder flavour

Let’s enjoying mentaiko with each other!

Wahoo! Mentaiko Pasta

The Japanese often combine mentaiko (spiced Haddock roe) with Japanese mayonnaise, butter, or cream to subdue the strong flavour of the spiced haddock roe. Because of its strong flavour, a little goes a long way to spice up carbs like white rice, bread, and the below pasta recipe, one of the most popular wa-fu (Japanese style) pasta sauces.

Mentaiko, outside of Japan will likely be in the freezer section of select Japanese or Asian food marts (available in Vancouver at the downtown Korean supermarket H-Mart on Robson at Seymour). Definitely not appealing at first glance – the row come in the original egg sac, taken straight from the fish – this treat is worth closing your eyes and taking the leap of faith. Salty, crunchy and spicy to the tongue, mentaiko pays you back (and then some) for your courage.

fresh mentaiko

Give it a try – I think you’ll say wahoo! too.

Ingredients for Wahoo! Mentaiko Pasta

• Enough dried spaghetti for 4
• One egg-sac of mentaiko
• About 1/3 cup jako (baby sardines) – optional
• Approx.  1- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• Approx. 3 – 4 Tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• Approx. 2 Tbsp butter (or olive oil – butter will give a milder flavour to the dish)
• Garnish: thinly sliced shiso herb and/or dried nori seaweed

How to make Wahoo! Mentaiko Pasta

1. Defrost the mentaiko overnight in the fridge. Once fully defrosted…
2. 2. Boil the spaghetti in plenty of water. Just before the spaghetti is ready, pre-heat a large frying pan to medium heat. Once cooked al-dente, drain the spaghetti and set aside.
3. Once the frying pan is hot, add the butter or oil, mentaiko, and briefly sauté until the butter is fully melted (about 20 – 30 seconds).
4. Add the spaghetti and toss with soy sauce and mayonnaise, adjusting the amounts of each to your taste. This should only take about one minute.
5. Serve while hot with the garnish(es) of your choice.

Let’s Forking with spicy roe!