A Gift of Caviar

Caviar, as we all know, is the roe (eggs) of a specific fish...the (wild) sturgeon fish, to be exact.  A gift of caviar.....is a gift of luxury!  Well, that is if you get real caviar (as true caviar only comes from sturgeon)! There are many different grades of caviar out there...from super expensive ones to cheaper substitutes or alternatives.  Though only sturgeon roe is considered true caviar, roe of other fish like salmon, trout or lumpfish, even whitefish, carp or paddlefish is also referred to as caviar by some.  This one I got (from Iceland) as a gift is actually lumpfish roe (also referred to as caviar).

From what I know, read and seen (on TV), one of the most prized caviar it seems is Beluga caviar (coz the Beluga sturgeon is critically endangered).  Malaysia has also become a producer of caviar of late, specifically a luxury brand called T'lur Caviar with its farm in Tanjung Malim, Perak.  Even these locally produced ones can cost hundreds of ringgit for just 30g! O_o

It's not that I'd ever get to taste real caviar anytime soon...or in my lifetime...lol!  What I do get to taste are the cheaper versions of caviar or, maybe, imitation caviar that some restaurants offer.  I remember my first ever taste of 'cheap' caviar was in the form of a starter from Victoria Station in Jalan Ampang but that was before I started blogging, so no photos were taken.  In case you're gifted a can of caviar and don't know what to do with it, let me show you just a few ways you can use them in some simple home recipes.

#1 - Caviar on Toast Points

But that appetiser in Victoria Station remained vividly in my mind that I'm able to replicate it at home.  Turns out that's the traditional way of eating caviar...with a selection of condiments like chopped hardboiled egg (some would serve the whites and yolks separately...why, I don't know, coz when it goes into our mouths, they'd be together...lol), finely chopped shallots/onions and chives with optional lemon wedges and creme fraiche.

My rendition is a little simpler with less components.  The way to eat this is you scoop a little bit of everything onto a slice of buttered toast point (a toast point is a triangular piece of bread that has been toasted with the crust cut off), top that with a bit of caviar...and take a bite! ^o^

It's very good, I tell you...biting into these tiny discs of caviar, you get this crunchy texture with a briny, salty burst of juices for a pop of sensation in your mouth.  Somewhat similar to tobiko (flying fish roe) in its crunchy texture and ikura (salmon roe) with its pop of juices.

#2 - Caviar on Crackers or Blinis

Of course, the simplest way is to put the caviar on crackers.  Some would serve it on blinis (a small, savoury pancake) together with a dollop of creme fraiche.  Creme fraiche and caviar is a classic combination that pairs perfectly well together.

I'm not sure if I've had creme fraiche before...I'm sure I've had and not know it.  Since I'm not that into cream, I omitted it (+ it's not easily found at our regular supermarkets anyway)...perhaps the higher-end supermarkets might have it.  These bite-sized lovelies are great as hors d'oeuvres or finger food for parties.

#3 - Caviar on Eggs

Besides the great pairing of creme fraiche and caviar, the other match that's perfectly made for one another is the pairing of eggs and caviar.

#3.1 - With Deviled Eggs

I'm sure many of us have seen this dish on TV or in food magazines and cookbooks.  It's pretty easy to prepare and it also makes a good appetiser or finger food for parties.

I've made this deviled eggs before...but that version was missing the luxurious ingredient of caviar, of course. I didn't even need to salt the eggs as the caviar was quite salty (which I wasn't expecting) or, should I say, taste of the sea! ;)

#3.2 - With Soft-Boiled Eggs

I once had soft-boiled eggs with black truffle shavings (and foie gras) that I thought elevated the humble soft-boiled eggs.  If a prized delicacy like truffle can do that, I'm assuming the luscious addition of caviar can do so too, and rightly so, it sure did.

This is not the kopitiam version of soft-boiled eggs, so no soy sauce, please...hah..hah.  Anyway, the caviar brings enough saltiness to the dish.  Who wants the typical kopitiam version now that I've tasted the luxurious version...and wish I can have that to start my every morning! ^_~  

#3.3 - With Scrambled Eggs

If it works with hard-boiled and soft-boiled eggs, why wouldn't it work with scrambled eggs, right?  The rather crisp tiny pearls of caviar create a nice contrast to the soft scrambled eggs.  It'll take your humble western breakfast to a Michelin star dish (lol!) and make it that much fancier.

If you're making this for friends/guests, your posh breakfast will be the subject of conversation among friends for a long time to come.  Seen here paired with some gourmet chicken garlic slices.

Sprinkle some finely chopped chives over the eggs if you have (I don't).  And yes, you can use a bit of freshly grinded black pepper with caviar as it can enhance the flavour profile of the caviar.  If the scrambled eggs look a bit less runny than usual, that's because I like my scrambled eggs cooked a bit more that way.

#4 - Caviar on Potatoes

One of the chefs on Top Chef once mentioned that caviar goes very well with potatoes.  For a cheffy rendition, it'll probably be in a dish of confit or fondant potatoes.  For the non-chefs in us, we can just pan-fry or bake the potatoes lah.

Dollop each potato rectangle with a little sour cream, mayo or creme fraiche and caviar (you can make it pretty with some strands of chives too).

#4.1 - With Potato Chips

If making potatoes is too troublesome for you, the easiest would be to use potato chips (unsalted, of course). Some (like the caviar connoisseurs) might frown upon this way of pairing caviar with potato chips but it's really good, I can vouch for that....crispy, salty, heavenly in one bite! ^.^

I think I went a bit overboard with too much caviar (for the sake of photo taking :D) on such a small, thin piece of chip...lol! :D  Just a little will do, otherwise you may end up with too salty a bite.

#5 - Caviar on Seafood or Pasta

When I think of caviar with seafood, the obvious ones that come to mind would be oysters, scallops, cured/smoked salmon, shrimps and crab cakes which I've seen on many food/cooking shows and competitions.

You can use the caviar to elevate a common appetiser like prawn cocktail to make it just a little bit more posh for your guests.  Equally as common is a dollop of caviar on top of pasta...the same way you'd see tobiko and ikura on pasta, so you know this is a winning combination also.

Overall, the caviar was good...it certainly elevated the dishes (and snacks) that I had.  I wasn't expecting the caviar to be that savoury, so I only needed to salt my dishes very lightly or not at all.  I enjoyed it the most with the scrambled eggs and soft-boiled eggs.  The bottle might look very small (100g) but a little goes a long way.

While lumpfish roe and sturgeon caviar may look fairly similar (except that lumpfish roe is really tiny unlike the larger, more luscious pearls of caviar), lumpfish roe is technically not caviar (though many such alternatives are still referred to as caviar)!  While lumpfish roe is not quite caviar, it still tasted great.  So, imagine if this was the real, luxurious, fine caviar! O_o  Due to its accessibility and affordability, you can use as much as you like...spread it on toast points, use it as a topping on your dishes (specifically eggs) or simply as a hors d'oeuvres.

So, thanks to my sister-in-law for her gift of lumpfish caviar which she got from her travels to Iceland....and even though this is not the real or super expensive caviar...it still tasted pretty darn good to me (and I wished there was more).  If I find them selling here, I would surely buy without hesitation...but, no, I googled and it's not sold here! :'(