Whipped Cream Cheese With Mentaiko

By J. Kenji López-Alt

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Whipped Cream Cheese With Mentaiko — Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Total Time: 10 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 4(58)
Notes: Read community notes

Salty mentaiko (the salt-cured roe of Alaskan pollock), savory miso and scallions are perfect partners for a whipped cream cheese spread that’s equally good smeared onto bagels, folded into scrambled eggs or stuffed into fried wonton skins (crab Rangoon-style).

Featured in: A Star of Kenji López-Alt’s Childhood Breakfasts Shows Its Versatility

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:1½ cups

1whole sac mentaiko or tarako (about 2 ounces)
8ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2tablespoons heavy cream or milk
1tablespoon yellow or brown miso paste
About ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Whisk together all ingredients. For a thicker texture, whisk just until combined. For a lighter texture, whisk together vigorously for several minutes by hand or with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Spread on fresh bagels or toast, fold into soft scrambled eggs (a tablespoon for every 2 eggs) just as they finish cooking, or use it in place of the crab filling in crab Rangoon. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Ratings

4 out of 5

58 user ratings

Your rating

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

There aren’t any notes yet. Be the first to leave one.

coffeespoon1 year ago

This is the umami spread of my dreams! Thank you Kenji Lopez-Alt for this recipe!

Courtney Thurston1 year ago

Does anyone know why the ratings are relatively low and/or have any field notes? It's possible people just aren't into the flavor, and that's fine. Thanks!

Artkoea1 year ago

Debbie, Tarama sounds delicious (i really love it). Having tasted both, i think it works just as well. Surely its not the same, of course, but the delicious combo stands and works for the same principles!

Debbie D.1 year ago

Would tarama (a Greek take on salted fish roe) be a reasonable substitute here? Thanks.

Barbara Manning1 year ago

Probably, but I'm no expert. According to the blog, Real Greek Recipes, "Tarama is the cured eggs of carp fish, grey mullet, or cod. In Greece, we have two types of Tarama. The one we call the White one, which is, in fact, a yellowish one, and the Pink one. Authentic Tarama is originally white (yellowish), but the pink color is added to it only to make it look more eye-catching. The flavor in both types is almost exactly the same (the white one being a touch stronger)."

Private notes are only visible to you.