Mentaiko Bread Spread Recipe How To Make Mentaiko Pan

I’ve taken a slightly different approach for my version by turning this into a spread that doubles as a dip. This allows you to use it to make mentaiko bread, but you can also use it as a spread or dip for veggies.

Why This Recipe Works?

Mentaiko provides salt, briny umami, and a hint of spiciness to this simple four-ingredient spread. Mascarpone is rich and not as acidic as sour cream or cream cheese. This can make it a little cloying, but adding a bit of lemon juice and zest gives the spread a fresh zing. The pungent garlic adds a ton of flavor and helps smooth over any fishiness in the roe.

Ingredients for Mentaiko Bread Spread

Mentaiko - Mentaiko is made from a whole skein of cod roe that has been cured with powdered chili peppers and brine. It’s usually found in the frozen section of Japanese or Korean supermarkets. For a less spicy version, you can also use tarako. Mascarpone - Mascarpone is a fresh Italian cheese made by coagulating cream with an acid and straining out the whey. The resulting soft curd has a rich, creamy texture that’s somewhere between cream cheese and clotted cream. Lemon - Tangy lemon juice cuts through the richness of the mascarpone and roe while the zest adds a fresh fragrance. I’ve used regular lemons, but Meyer lemons or other sour citrus fruit such as yuzu or sudachi would work as well. Garlic - The garlic adds flavor to the spread, but if you’re not a fan of the taste of garlic, you can replace it with some chopped chives or minced scallions.

How to Make Mentaiko Bread Spread

Add the mascarpone to a bowl, and then use a Microplane to grate in the garlic. Zest in about a quarter of the lemon zest and then squeeze in about two teaspoons of lemon juice. Mentaiko is held together in a skein by a membrane, similar to a sausage. To get the roe out of the skein, just cut one end open and press the roe out using your fingers or chopsticks. Stir everything together until it’s evenly combined, and then you can adjust the tartness by adding more lemon juice if you like. Garnish the mentaiko bread spread with chervil or flat-leaf parsley and serve with crusty bread and vegetables for dipping.