When I went to my local fishmonger recently, I noticed beside the glistening sets of shad roe a couple of unmarked plastic containers nestled in the crushed ice of the display case. One held white perch roe, I was told, and the other rockfish roe.
I began to experiment. I dredged tiny pale yellow sacs filled with delicate white perch eggs in seasoned flour; I dipped the darker roe of the rockfish (known elsewhere as striped bass) in cornmeal and sauteed it in butter.
After years on the Mid-Atlantic coast, I have learned to love the ephemeral spring pleasure of shad roe. It had never occurred to me, however, that the roe (eggs) of other fish might be cooked and enjoyed as well.
The fishmonger said most fish roe gets thrown out because shoppers -- like me -- are unfamiliar with anything but shad roe. Spring fish, he said, are full of roe but most people say they don't want it.
It's not like it's a new idea. Fish roe has been relished at least since ancient Egypt, and was commonly eaten in the U.S. as recently as the 20th century. In a 1941 press release, for example, the U.S. Department of the Interior encouraged Americans to eat fish roe.
"In all civilized countries," the release reads, "the roes of certain fishes are of recognized high quality and classed among the most valuable of fishery products." At that time, the roe of salmon, sturgeon, whitefish and herring roe were all canned "for the delectation of American gourmets," according to this press release. It was also pushed as a good source of protein -- as good as the fish it comes from. However, it also is high in cholesterol.
I began to experiment. I dredged tiny pale yellow sacs filled with delicate white perch eggs in seasoned flour; I dipped the darker roe of the rockfish (known elsewhere as striped bass) in cornmeal and sauteed it in butter. The white perch roe was mild with a creamy texture, while the rockfish roe had a stronger flavor, more like shad roe.
The most adventurous I got was to cook a whole roe shad (the female fish) stuffed with sacs of shad roe and cooked with herbs, lemon and leeks for more than six hours in a slow oven.
Shad is an incredibly bony fish, and the theory is that the tiny bones will almost melt through prolonged exposure to heat, the fishmonger said. "You must be kidding," I replied. That delicate line between perfectly cooked fish and overcooked fish? Turns out you can cross it when cooking a whole shad. Shockingly, both the fish and the roe were moist and flavorful.
Some shellfish roe, too, is considered a great delicacy -- particularly that of lobsters, scallops and sea urchins. Shellfish roe is often called coral, referring to its orange-red color. These eggs are used in sauces or to make compound butters. Roe curdles if allowed to boil so should be added to hot, not boiling liquids.
Then there's cured roe. Salting sturgeon eggs turns them into caviar, the most luxurious of roe. Bottarga (Italian) or boutargue (French) is sometimes called poor man's caviar. The roe of gray mullet is salted, pressed and dried in the sun. Once, it was sold encased in wax but now is more often vacuum packed. Like other processed roes, bottarga/boutargue is available online. It is thinly sliced and served on toast or in salads, or grated and tossed with pasta. Sicilians put slices on ripe tomatoes.
Taramasalata is the Greek take on what to do with cured fish roe. The fish of choice is gray mullet, but because that is hard to find, most taramasalata is made with carp roe. I found a jar at a Greek market and made a creamy dip using milk-soaked bread, oil, lemon juice and yogurt. It was a beautiful pale pink and mildly addictive.
Both fresh and cured roe are commonly used to make sushi. If a menu lists something with uni, for example, that's sea urchin roe.
Fresh or cured, bright red or pale yellow, fish roe is a culinary rite of spring. So don't balk so fast when you're asked if you want to keep the roe.
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