Little eggs like no other! Cooking tarama with Astara

At Astara, we don't like the tarama...we love it! Tarama is a simple and good product which, when prepared according to the rules of the art, always works wonders! For Easter, it will be the ally of your aperitifs and festive starters!

What is tarama?

From the Greek taramasalata meaning 'salted fish roe', tarama is a preparation made fromsmoked cod roe, milk, cream or vegetable oil, breadcrumbs and lemon juice. The cod roe is mainly sourced from wild fish caught in the pristine waters ofIceland or the Faroe Islands - when it is a quality tarama as at Astara .

Real tarama is beige in colour. The pink colour is obtained thanks to a colouring agent. This is natural at Astara (beetroot powder). Indeed, a good tarama must be naturally coloured and contain at least 25% cod roe, as at Astara !

What to cook with tarama?

Today, tarama is becoming more and more trendy and is adorned with original flavours! Creations with sea urchin, caviar, crab, Espelette pepper or wasabi are restoring the reputation of the old tarama.

While toast and blinis are still a safe bet for accompanying it, but today we are opting for dark bread, crunchy vegetables (radish, endive shells, cucumber), buckwheat crisps, lime for a balance of flavours, pasta or even eggs.

Here are a few simple recipe ideas to celebrate tarama Astara:

Cucumber Makis with Espelette pepper tarama & fresh cheese 

For 4 people

Ingredients:

• 2 nice cucumbers
• 1 jar of tarama with Espelette pepper Astara
• 50g cream cheese 
• 1 lemon juice
• chopped chives
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

• Wash the cucumbers and peel them with a vegetable peeler, leaving every second strip of skin. Cut off the ends, then cut into sections of about 5cm. Scoop them out with an apple corer.
• Prepare the filling: beat the tarama with the fromage frais, lemon juice and seasoning.
• Top the cucumber makis with the mixture and finish with a few sprigs of chives.

Verrines with tuna cream & crab tarama

For 4 people

Ingredients:

• 1 tin of white albacore tuna in olive oil Astara
• 1 jar of crab tarama Astara
• 150g cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt
• 1 dozen candied tomatoes
• 1/2 lemon juice and zest
• chopped dill
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

• Prepare the cream of tarama: whisk the tarama, 2/3 of the fromage blanc and the lemon juice to obtain a frothy preparation. Add the chopped confit tomatoes and a few sprigs of chopped dill. Arrange in verrines.
• Chop the tuna and mix with the remaining cottage cheese and lemon zest. Place the mixture on top of the verrines and serve chilled!

Soft-boiled eggs with smoked salmon & tarama with sea urchin coral

For 4 people

Ingredients:

• 4 large organic eggs
• 2 slices of organic Scottish smoked salmon Astara
• 1 jar of tarama with sea urchin coral Astara
• 15cl of whipping cream
• chopped chives
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

• Mix the cream with the chopped chives. Season to taste.
• Carefully open the top of each egg and pour the contents into a saucepan. Whisk the eggs with the dill cream to obtain a creamy, not overcooked mixture.
• Place a teaspoon of tarama and a few slices of smoked salmon on the bottom of each egg, then fill with the brouillade. Finish with a few sprigs of chives. Enjoy warm or cooler!

Freshness and simplicity guaranteed!