Some people like a bit of onion or garlic in their tarama. They don’t usually add them to versions I’ve had in Paris, but if you want to add them, use about 1/4 cup minced shallots or onions (red or white), in step 1 in place of the garlic. Not everybody uses garlic in their tarama and it does tend to compete a bit with the fish flavor. So you can leave it out if you want. But I like a small amount in there. It’s traditional to use codfish roe (eggs), which are harder to find in Paris than lumpfish roe, which I used. If you can find codfish roe – which are usually not tinted – feel free to use them. White pepper isn’t easily available, but adds a nice little bit of zip. You can leave it out or use black pepper, if you don’t mind the black bits. (I do, for some reason.) You can use a blender or food processor. I think it gets more whipped up, and thicker in a blender. If using a blender, you may need to stop it midway and scrape down the sides, as it may get too thick to incorporate all the oil.