My First Caviar

[Smokin Don]

Jan 04 2015

I like to continually try new food and the preparation of it. I have always wanted to try Caviar. All I have ever seen is how expensive it was so I never tried it. Then my friend Ahron posted a photo of a spoon full of the pretty red eggs, renewed my interested in trying some.

I searched the net to see if there was some that was reasonably priced for my budget. It said salmon and lumpfish roe was lower in cost. I found some Romanoff’s red salmon roe Caviar at Amazon, two 2 oz. jars for $27.

I looked for ways to serve it and one popular way was to serve it on blini’s, little pancakes, with crème fraiche, cream cheese or sour cream. I wanted crème fraiche but I can’t get it around here anymore so I got some chive onion cream cheese and sour cream. I found some smoked nova salmon to go along with it too. Never heard of nova salmon but found it is cured and then cold smoked. It was $15 for 12 oz.

I told the kids to come down late afternoon Sunday and we would try the Caviar and later get carry ins. The blini recipe I used was a cup of self-rising flour, an egg, a cup of milk and a good pinch of salt. I made them up and I got 28 blini’s from the mix.

I told everyone they had to wait until I made some for myself and got photos! I made up three, two with cream cheese, a slice of the salmon and a small spoon of the caviar topped with some fresh chives and one with sour cream. After all made up some for themselves I tasted some plain. My thoughts were they were smooth with a slight fish taste, not as strong as I had thought they would be, but salty on the backside. I had two plain on crackers and a few more with cream cheese.

Our daughter in law would not try any and the grandson was reluctant but tried it and had three with crackers. My wife said she didn’t want any but tried some and said not bad. I think the son and I ate the most. The daughter in law had blini’s with black raspberry jam for her snack.

I had thought we would go through both jars but we all got enough from the one jar. At least now I can say I have tried caviar! The cost was not too bad for a little snack for six at, around $30.







Smokin Don

[africanmeat]

This is heavenly food , can you send few  to me ?

[Hub]

Looks delicious, Don.  I'd dive into that in a heartbeat 

Caviar is very expensive and not for everyone's taste.  You have to "augment" it just like you did here.  I'm sorry some folks won't even try it but that's their loss.  Good caviar has a salty/creamy/fresh fish flavor that combines well with sour cream, chive, and some other acquired tastes.

Back when I was still working I was a platinum level frequent flyer and almost always got upgraded to First Class.  On Delta's European and Asian routes, the appetizer in First was often caviar done pretty much the way you did it here.  It was also served with a small glass of premium vodka that had been in the freezer prior to the service.  Washing down the salty caviar with the smooth "sting" of that cold vodka was quite an experience.  Fun, but not on my every day menu or anything I'd likely buy -- just an adventure in food 

Hub

[sliding_billy]

Nice looking apps.  I can take caviar or leave it, but that looks great.

[drholly]

It looks like you did a very nice job on those!

Back when I worked for SC Johnson in the Americas, like HUB I was often upgraded to 1st class There is nothing like flying over the Andes on a sheepskin covered seat with 5 feet of personal space and served caviar (much like your prep) with a nice wine. They used to push the service out on a wooden trolley - ahhhh those were the days.

I'm going to try your blini recipe - thanks for sharing!

[Pappymn]

Looks really good SD!

And now we know Doc and Hub are really old. They flew back when domestic carriers provided great service

[Big Dawg]

Those look very nice.   My experience was not anywhere near as extravagant as Doc's or Hub's.

When the Carolina Panthers first started, a group of us tailgated at a parking lot together each week.  Coincidentally, our next parking space neighbors were people I worked with.  Each week, one thing that they would bring was deviled eggs topped with caviar. 

Sorta like this:



They were very tasty.





BD

[drholly]

Well I can't speak for HUB - and I flew LAN Chile and Avianca (SA airlines) I do actually remember going to see my dad while he was in some military school in Virginia. I must have been about 6 or 7 -  think it was Northwest Orient at that time (yikes!) and YES the service was excellent - I even got to go to the cockpit and talk with the pilots... oh, and the plane had curtains on the windows and propellers - you know the thing on Beanie Boy's hat... 

I also remember when folks "dressed" to take an airplane and the train - how things have changed.

So, yes, I am certifiably old... 

[muralboy]

Wow, Doc is really tipping his hat as to his age - Northwest?  Getting dressed up to fly?  I travel a lot for business and days it seems like people barely get dressed - looks like they just crawled out of bed.

BTW - great looking appetizers Don.

[ACW3]

Love caviar.  Don't eat much of it, but when I can get it I enjoy it.

The blini's give me some ideas.  More later, if they work out.

Art

[spuds]

Enjoyable thread,thanks.

[muebe]

I too enjoy caviar on occasion. Whenever I am out for sushi I do enjoy salmon egg rolls too.

[fishingbouchman]

salmon eggs are for bait. 

[Smokin Don]

salmon eggs are for bait.

Yea I remember the trout sure loved them. When I was in Alaska we cured them with salt and sugar. They got real sticky and you could make a small ball to add to a hook. I don't remember anyone eating them though! Don

[Jaxon]

My experience with caviar is quite limited to my early years, when I went fishing with my dad.  We fished for support - not  sport.  There's a difference.
He and I counted ourselves lucky if we caught a bass or crappie (white perch for you yankees) full of eggs.  After fryin' up to fish, we'd fry up the roe. 
On one occasion the grease was too hot and the egg sack exploded sending fish eggs and grease all over the place - ceiling to floor.  No one was burned, but it was a real mess.  I can't remember having caviar after that.