A super simple savory toast with just 3 ingredients! This Mentaiko Toast is one of our favorite ways to enjoy mentaiko (spicy cod roe). Enjoy for breakfast or as a snack any time of the day ^_^
We love to make all different sorts of toast for breakfast and snack! From Black Sesame Toast to Natto Egg Toast and Natto Toast with Cheese and Cabbage, there's no end to all the delicious toast you can make. We even make Shrimp Toast - it's not technically a toast, but still tasty.
With a good loaf of Japanese milk bread (shokupan), the world of toast is yours!
For this recipe all we need is the bread, mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and Kewpie mayonnaise. Mix the mentaiko and mayonnaise together. Spread it on the bread. Toast and eat!
Soooo onolicious with a cup of hot tea for breakfast. I love it.
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Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Bread - Ideally Japanese milk bread (shokupan). If you're in Honolulu, we love to buy milk bread from Epi-Ya, Brug Bakery (multiple locations), and Okayama Kobo Bakery. If you don't have milk bread, this is also good with brioche and challah. And if you don't have any of that, plain regular white bread will work.
- Mentaiko - See the section below for more info on mentaiko and where to purchase.
- Kewpie mayonnaise - Definitely use Kewpie mayonnaise. You can use regular mayonnaise in a pinch, but please make this recipe with Kewpie.
- Shredded nori - Optional.
See recipe card for quantities.
What Is Mentaiko?
Mentaiko is spicy cod roe. It's briny and salty with a just a little bit of heat. Mentaiko is delicious and versatile!
Aside from making this mentaiko toast, you can also make mentaiko udon and mentaiko pasta. And even mentaiko hapen and mentaiko toast. Mentaiko is a popular onigiri filling.
There's even a Japanese bakery in Honolulu called Okayama Kobo Bakery that makes mentaiko mochi oyaki and a salt and butter roll with mentaiko! Both are super, SUPER delicious when you get them hot out of the oven.
You can purchase mentaiko at a Japanese market. In Honolulu we go to Nijiya (Ala Moana location), Mitsuwa, or Marukai. They have mentaiko in the frozen and/refrigerated section of the market. Mentaiko freezes well so you can buy a couple packs and store in the freezer for last minute meals.
Instructions
Let's get cooking!
First, remove the mentaiko from the thin sac/membrane.
There are many ways to do this:
- Use your fingers to hold one end of the mentaiko and then use chopsticks to press and squeeze all the roe out into a small bowl.
- You can also use a small knife to cut a slit into the sac/membrane and then scrape out all the roe.
You can discard the sac/membrane...or just eat it as a snack while cooking (that's what I like to do).
Add the kewpie mayonnaise to the bowl with the roe. Mix until evenly combined.
Spread the mentaiko and kewpie mayonnaise mixture on the bread. Spread it evenly and make sure to reach all the edges. You want every bite to have a taste of the mentaiko!
Toast at 400F for 3-4 minutes.
Top with a little shredded nori (optional but tasty). Eat and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few tasty things we like to do:
- Shiso - Top the toast with thinly sliced shiso.
- Avocado - Top the toast thin slices of avocado.
- Jammy Egg - Top with a jammy egg (somewhere between hard-boiled and soft-boiled) cut into quarters.
- Spicy - Mentaiko is already a little bit spicy, but to add more heat just drizzle on chili oil or shichimi togarashi on top.
Try a few or try them all!
Equipment
All you need is a toaster oven.
Storage
You can mix the mentaiko and kewpie mayonnaise ahead of time and keep the mixture in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make sure to store in a sealed container.
Top Tip
Don't prepare the toast until right before you eat it. It tastes best hot from the toaster oven ^_^
FAQ
We love making mentaiko udon and mentaiko pasta. And mentaiko hapen and mentaiko toast (soooo good). Recipe for mentaiko onigiri coming soon!
You can, but it won't be as delicious. A number of our recipes use Kewpie mayonnaise, so it's worth getting a bottle.
Plus, it just tastes better than regular mayonnaise. Kewpie uses only egg yolks, so it's richer. And it has this nice tangy sweetness to it. Definitely get Kewpie. You can buy it at most Asian markets ^_^
Yes that is very easy to do. For each piece of toast you need 1 lobe of mentaiko and 1 tablespoon of Kewpie mayonnaise. So just stick with that easy ratio and you are good to double or even triple.
Mentaiko Toast Recipe
Mentaiko Toast
Ingredients
- 2 slices bread ideally Japanese milk bread (shokupan)
- 2 lobes mentaiko
- 2 tablespoons kewpie mayonnaise
- shredded nori optional
Instructions
- First, remove the mentaiko from the thin sac/membrane. There are many ways to do this. We like to use our fingers to hold one end of the mentaiko and then use chopsticks to press and squeeze all the roe out into a small bowl.You can also use a small knife to cut a slit into the sac/membrane and then scrape out all the roe.
- Add the kewpie mayonnaise to the bowl with the roe. Mix until evenly combined.
- Spread the mentaiko and kewpie mayonnaise mixture on the bread.
- Toast at 400F for 3-4 minutes.
- Top with a little shredded nori (optional). Eat and enjoy!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Mahalo for Reading!