#ewew cooks Fish Eggs

Do you love fish eggs (or fish roe)?  I love, love, love fish eggs! ^.^  I was tickled pink when kyspeaks referred to them as a poor man's (or woman's) caviar in a recent post.  Well, the association is certainly true since caviar is fish roe after all or, more specifically, roe from the sturgeon family.  It's a luxurious (but super expensive) delicacy and a heavenly treat if one can afford it.  

Well, I obviously can't afford it.  I've eaten what looks like caviar before, certainly not the you-have-to-break-the-bank type of caviar (like Beluga caviar...lol) but probably a very cheap version or possibly even a caviar substitute.  I love the slightly saltish flavour and crunch along with the "pop" and burst of juices when you bite into them.

Caviar aside, let's get back to the cheap imitation of caviar that is fish eggs...or, aptly put, a poor man's caviar.  My first taste of fish eggs that left an impression was one I had at a mamak restaurant.  Along with their more popular choice of fried chicken or squid, some Indian/mamak restaurants also offer fish eggs fried to order...and they come out beautifully crispy and fragrant.  So, so good. ^o^

It's not always possible to get fish eggs from the wet market since many fishmongers don't purposely get them to sell coz they're so cheap the small profit probably isn't worth the effort.  If the fishmonger happens to get fish that have eggs in them, only then we'll have the chance of buying them coz these sizeable eggs can only be harvested from a large fish.  Sometimes the fishmonger won't even bother to take out the fish eggs when they cut them into fish steaks and that's when you find that little bit of egg still embedded in the belly cavity.  I consider that my lucky day...but there's so little of it, I treasure it like caviar...lol.

I did buy fish eggs once (from a supermarket) to cook at home before.  That was before I knew that frying them would be such a nightmare (and that's putting it mildly).  Because of the water content in the eggs/egg sac, they pop, sizzle and splatter....like hell...in hot oil.  The splattering oil made my kitchen a complete mess....not only that but the popping oil landed on my hands as well! >.<  That was the first...and last time I fried fish eggs at home.

But these days, getting to eat fish eggs is a rare occasion since not many Indian/mamak restaurants offer them anymore.  So, imagine my delight when I came across fish eggs one morning at the wet market.  These 5 pairs of fish roe cost RM10 only (if I remember correctly).  Uncooked fish eggs may not be visually appealing...it may even be geli looking at the veins in the raw fish eggs but, omg, how good they taste when cooked! ;)

The fishmonger sensed that I was hesitant in taking the fish eggs off her hands even though I told her how much I love fish eggs.  After being told the reason, she advised me to boil the fish eggs first before frying and they won't splatter as much.  With that tip in mind, I became more encouraged to try to cook them again at home.  So, as advised, I boiled them first and let them dry completely before frying.

The fish sac is very delicate and will sometimes split when you parboil them but you need not worry as, by some kind of miracle, most of the eggs will continue to hold together (of course some will still separate from the sac but very little of it).  Another cooking guru told me to steam them before frying (I'll try that method next when I'm lucky enough to score some fish eggs from the market).

I simply seasoned them with salt, white pepper and chicken powder but did dust them in a bit of cornflour (in case they stick to the pan).  I didn't deep-fry them, I shallow-fried them (of course deep-frying will result in a much crispier texture like how the mamak restaurants do it).  And yes, they did splatter just a bit.....but certainly not like the insane splattering I experienced when I cooked them from raw the first time.

I thought I'd try some different seasoning, so I did one with black pepper and one with paprika (besides salt and chicken powder).  You can also use garlic or onion powder, or whatever seasoning you like.  The black pepper is the singular one (coz I ate the other half as soon as it was fried...hee..hee).

Frying is the only way I've ever eaten fish roe (that's how the mamak/Indian restaurants cook it too). Actually, when the fish sac breaks to reveal the eggs inside, the roe gets even crispier this way when fried.

They taste so good when they're all crispy and fragrant.  Even my son loves it...and he too developed the taste for it after first eating them at a mamak/Indian restaurant! ;)  Fish roe is rather rich, so you can only eat a small portion in one sitting.

Since I had some blended chilli paste in the fridge, I thought I'd cook the balance roe with it the next day.  I cut the roe into chunks and fried them first, then sauteed the chilli paste until pecah minyak before returning the fried fish eggs into the sambal.  My son said the fish eggs were even tastier cooked this way.  Fish eggs tend to be bland on its own, so they need strong seasonings for it to taste good.  

I like that mouthfeel of biting into hundreds of individual eggs that gives it that unique textural thing and taste (if seasoned and cooked properly).  It's so good I can't even begin to describe.  It's something that only fans of fish roe will understand....hah..hah.

I consider fish eggs a delicacy, even though it's cheap, unlike its luxurious and expensive counterpart (caviar) coz it's a rare treat...you can't always get it when you want and you can't have it too often either when you do.  If I see it offered by any food places, you can be sure I'll order it.  Like all innards, fish roe is an acquired taste.....not everyone will think the world of it!  What about you.....do you like fish eggs?  I think if you enjoy the flavours of masago, ebiko, tobiko, ikura or even uni and caviar, you'll possibly enjoy (cheap) fish eggs too! ^_~