A wonderful and simple seasonal recipe!
By Mia Irene Kristensen
Orange, mousse-like and mildly sea flavored – In the cold water of the North there’s a treat swimming around. The cod roe season is about to peak, remember to enjoy it while they’re here! 
The treat of the winter
Cod roes are the eggs of the cod fish and they have a short season of usually 2-3 months, usually the cold months (jan, feb, mar). For this reason, the cod roes has got the same reputation in my family as other very seasonal treat. I love cod roe in the same way I love strawberries, they’re just a perfect seasonal treat!
An easy “pair of pants”
If you’ve never cooked cod roe before, don’t panic – it’s one of the easiest fish dishes to get right. All you have to do is to pack them in a baking sheet and poach them in their outer membrane for 25 minutes and then remove the membrane just before serving. When purchasing them fresh from the fishmonger, they are always kept in the membrane, looking like a pair of pants. In Denmark, you can even hear people ordering “a pair of pants” when they’re buying it!
Fry, stir or simply spoon them up!
The poached cod roe are tiny in size and has a very mild flavor. The texture is known for being almost mousse-like – light, fluffy and not “popping” like many other fish eggs. So in my family it’s as much a childrens treat as it is for adults. After poaching, it’s easy to slice the roe and pan-fry in butter, or stir the roes with crème fraiche and herbs. There are plenty of possibilities – all they need is a little acidity (eg pickles, lemon juice or vinegar) and a pinch of salt!
Poached Cod Roe with Pickled Celeriac Mayo
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A wonderful and simple seasonal recipe!
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh cod roe
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 bay leafs
- Pepper
- ½ red onion, sliced
- A little fresh dill or parsley
- ½ celeriac, peeled
- 2 white carrots, peeled
- 100ml water
- 100ml apple vinegar
- 75ml sugar
- 2 tsp salt & pepper
- 1 handfuld of fresh herbs (eg dill, chives or cress)
Instructions
Poached cod roe:
- Rinse the cod roe in cold water. Wrap the roe in either alu-foil or baking paper.
- Bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Add salt, bay leafs, pepper, red onion and dill.
- Turn the heat down to medium, Add the cod roe and leave to simmer, lid on, for 25-30minutes.
- Drain the cod roe and leave it to cool a bit before serving.
Mustard Mayo:
- Whisk the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Keep whisking while adding the oil droplet by droplet until the texture is thick and creamy. Cover the bowl and leave it to rest in the fridge.
Pickled celeriac and carrots:
- Cut celeriac and carrots into small squares (0,5×0,5cm). Mix water, vinegar, sugar, salt and a little pepper in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables and boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and leave to cool.
- Drain the vegetables, transfer them to a bowl and stir in 4-6 tbsps of the mayonnaise. Add mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the herbs and serve straight away together with the poached cod roe.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
WOW!!!! Looks delicious!!! Thanks for sharing!
Have to try this!
I will try this recipe. Celeriac cod’s roe. You didn’t put mustard in your list of ingredients. What sort English,French or Dijon.
you do not mention eggs in your recipe of ingredients but you talk about egg yokes. why is this?
There are no quantities for making the mayonnaise. How many yolks, how much mustard and oil??? Otherwise I’ll make this recipe as it sounds delicious.