Tarako (Salted Cod Roe) Spaghetti

I'm so excited to finally get the chance to make Tarako (salted cod roe) spaghetti. I originally stumbled upon a recipe for Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) spaghetti while browsing for a Japanese fusion dish. Tarako is the non-spicy version. Tarako/Mentaiko is commonly used as the filling for onigiri (rice ball). What I didn't know was that mixing it with pasta is a very popular Japanese-Italian fusion dish. I've been dying to try it ever since. Sadly, I don't live anywhere near a Japanese market so I had to put this thought in the back burner.

Saturday night, hubby and I had a dinner double date in Irvine and there was a Korean market on the same complex as the restaurant. Even though Tarako/Mentaiko is Japanese, I decided to go inside and search for it. I found a small container labeled "Salted Whiting Roe" that contained 4 membrane sacs. Truthfully I had no idea if Whiting fish is the same as Cod fish but it was the only thing I found that looked like Tarako/Mentaiko so I went for it and hoped for the best. Once I got home, I googled Whiting fish and found out that it's a cod-like fish. Pheww... :) So I made Tarako spaghetti for lunch yesterday and surprisingly it was so fast and easy to make. And not surprisingly...it was oh so delicious!! I'll definitely try this recipe again using Mentaiko and explore other pairings using this delicacy so stay tuned...

This recipe is adapted from: Chubby Hubby

Makes 5 servings

1 pkg. spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
4 sacs Tarako/Mentaiko
3 T. butter, salted
2 large shallots, finely diced
1 C. half and half (I used fat-free)
3 T. dry white wine
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. Japanese mayonaise
1/4 C. nori strips + extra of garnish
5 soft-boiled eggs

Cooking instruction:

1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package (minus 1 minute). Drain and reserve 1/2 C. of the pasta water.

2. Cut the sac lengthwise and scrape out the fish eggs with a spoon and set aside.


2. In a large pan, melt butter under medium heat then add shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes until opaque.

3. Add half and half, white wine, and lemon juice and simmer for a few mintues until sauce thickens. Stir in the fish eggs into the cream mixture.

5. Add spaghetti and pasta water into the pan and mix for 1-2 minutes until pasta becomes al dente.

6. To serve, place pasta on a plate. Top with a softboil egg and garnish with nori strips. If you like it spicy, sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top.

Japanese Gyoza

Gyoza dumplings actually originated in China but became popular in Japan. The most common filling for gyoza is ground pork with cabbage and chives. You can also add ground shrimp (ebi-gyoza) or make it vegetarian. They can be boiled, steamed, deep fried, or pan-fried. My favorite is pan-fried because it gives a nice combination of the crispy and soft texture of the skin.

Makes about 50 pieces

Ingredients
1 lb. ground pork
1 C. shredded cabbage
2 t. minced ginger
1 t. minced garlic
2 T. sliced chives or scallions
1 t. sugar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
Salt, to taste
1 pkg. gyoza wrappers

Dipping Sauce
1/2 C. low sodium soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. chili oil
1 T. sliced scallions

Cooking Instruction:

1. In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients except for wrappers.

2. Fill each wrapper with 1 teaspoon of the pork mixture. Dip your finger in water then dab along the edges of the wrapper. Seal by folding them in half and pressing along the edges.

3. To pan fry the gyozas, heat 2 T. oil in a large frying pan on medium high. Once oil is hot, line up approximately 12 gyozas inside the pan. Leave for about 2 minutes to brown the skin. Then turn the gyozas over (I find that using a chopstick is the easiest and fastest way to do it).

4. Pour 1/4 C. of water into the pan and quickly close with a lid (or you'll get oil splattered all over). Let they gyozas steam for a couple of minutes until most of the water evaporates. Transfer gyozas onto a paper towel to absord the excess oil.

5. Wipe pan and repeat Steps 3 and 4 to pan fry the rest of the gyozas.

6. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, and scallions. Serve gyozas with dipping sauce.