Added: 11/13/2005 |
Traditions of eating black caviarTrue black caviar has such a name due to the color of its grains, from light grey to black, and is produced from the roe of sturgeon. Certainly, all fish have roe, though not all fish roe is suitable for caviar production. Let us reiterate, true caviar comes from sturgeon and sturgeon only, while the finest caviar should taste neither fishy nor overly salty, with shiny, fine-grained egg globules.
Today, the best black caviar comes from sturgeon, fished in the Caspian Sea by Iran and Russia. Since the price of it is high, black caviar is associated in the Western culture with luxury and wealth in the same way we regard personal jets, yachts and mansions. In Russia and other cultures, being an expensive delicacy, black caviar is a common and traditional part of celebrations, such as wedding and holiday feasts. If you are new to eating caviar, you will be surprised that it requires numerous customs, practices and etiquette of serving and eating as well.
First, how to serve? You should serve caviar as an independent dish, using servers and utensils made of glass, bone, tortoise shell, wood, plastic, or to be truly traditional, mother-of-pearl or gold. Silver and metallic bowls and utensils bring about oxidation; thus, they are not the best option. Common accompaniments to black caviar include lemon wedges, sour cream, hard-cooked egg (yolks and whites chopped separately) and minced onion. The beverages are either frozen vodka or champagne.
However, do not think that caviar is only for millionaires. Supposedly, you do not have holidays daily and can decorate your holiday table fare with caviar at least from time to time. Another point is that caviar is not eaten in pounds; the dishes, in which caviar is served, are small if not tiny, hence, each guest can have a small portion of it. It is even considered gauche to eat more than two spoonfuls.
For those of us, who consider eating black caviar unaffordable, there are a great number of caviar recipes, using small amounts of this genius product or less expensive types of caviar. Here is the one.
Medallions of Veal with Black Caviar
Ingredients: 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, 1 medium onion, sliced thick,
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, 2 oz. white wine vinegar, 6 oz. dry white wine, 2 cups veal or chicken stock, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 loin of veal, well trimmed and cut into 10 (3 oz each) medallions, 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature, 4 oz Russian sturgeon caviar, 1/2 bunch chopped cilantrillo.
Preparation: Heat 1/3 of butter in a stainless steel or enameled skillet, add onion, and sauté over low heat for two minutes. Add the pepper and vinegar, increase heat to moderate and reduce slightly. Add wine, reduce by half, add stock and reduce to syrup. Add cream and reduce until thickened. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and keep hot. In another skillet heat the remaining butter, add veal medallions and sauté over moderate heat for four to five minutes on each side. Transfer the two medallions to each of the four hot serving plates, pour equal amounts of sauce over each medallion and grind on a little pepper to taste.
To serve, top each medallion first with a teaspoon of sour cream, then with 1/2 ounce of caviar. Sprinkle tops with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
The dish is supposed to be beautiful in appearance, flagrant in aroma, and fantastic in taste, being both stylish and luxurious décor of any celebration dinner.
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