Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 200 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 50 g mentaiko
- 15 g white miso paste
Aromatics and Acidity
- 20 g scallions, finely chopped, green and white parts
- 5 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 137 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 43 mg
- Potassium
- 52 mg
- Calcium
- 25 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 4 mg
- Phosphorus
- 50 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 75 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 8 mcg
- Water
- 19 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a paring knife, gently slice the mentaiko sacs open lengthwise. Use the back of the knife blade to carefully scrape the tiny roe out from the membrane. Transfer the roe to a small dish and discard the outer membrane.
Place the softened cream cheese and white miso paste into a mixing bowl. Vigorously beat the mixture with a silicone spatula until it is completely smooth, homogenous, and free of any lumps.
Add the scraped mentaiko roe, finely chopped scallions, and lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold the ingredients together until the roe and scallions are evenly distributed throughout the spread, taking care not to crush the delicate roe.
Transfer the prepared spread to an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes before serving to allow the savory umami and allium flavors to properly meld.
Chef's Notes
- Using the back, dull side of your paring knife to scrape the mentaiko prevents you from accidentally cutting through the delicate membrane and mixing it into your finished spread.
- Shiro miso, or white miso, is preferred here over red or awase varieties because its natural sweetness and lower salt content perfectly balance the highly savory nature of the mentaiko.
- The sharp flavor of the raw scallions will bloom and become more pronounced as the spread sits in the refrigerator. If making this more than 24 hours in advance, consider reducing the scallion quantity slightly to prevent it from overpowering the seafood notes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The scallion flavor will intensify over time.
Troubleshooting
Spread is excessively salty
Cause: Mentaiko and miso brands vary significantly in their sodium content
Fix: Fold in an additional 30 to 50 grams of plain cream cheese to dilute the saltiness
Prevention: Start with half the recommended amount of miso paste and taste the mixture before adding the rest
Mixture is lumpy and difficult to incorporate
Cause: Cream cheese was too cold when mixing began
Fix: Before adding the mentaiko or scallions, microwave the cream cheese and miso in 5-second bursts until pliable enough to beat smooth
Prevention: Leave cream cheese at room temperature for one hour prior to preparation
Cultural Context
Mentaiko is a spicy marinated pollock or cod roe that originated in Korea as myeongran-jeot before becoming immensely popular in Fukuoka, Japan. Pairing this distinctly Japanese ingredient with Western dairy staples like butter, mayonnaise, or cream cheese is a hallmark of modern Wafu or Japanese-style Western cuisine, creating an irresistible synergy of rich dairy fat and oceanic umami.
