Caviar Dip
Summer isn’t over yet! If you are throwing a Labor Day Weekend celebration, you might consider serving caviar dip. It is simple and delicious – quite the crowd pleaser. We first discovered this wonderful recipe in Ina Garten’s ‘Barefoot Contessa Parties’ cookbook. It is fabulous served with potato chips, fresh vegetables or toast.
Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly minced dill, plus sprigs for garnish
1 minced scallion (white and green parts)
1 tablespoon milk, half-and-half or cream
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces Seattle Caviar Chum Salmon Ikura
Method:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese until smooth. With the mixer on medium speed add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, scallion, milk salt and pepper. With a rubber spatula, fold in threequarters of the salmon caviar. Spoon the dip into a bowl and garnish with the remaining salmon caviar and sprigs of fresh dill. Serve with chips, fresh vegetables or toasts and enjoy! This delightful treat won’t last long.
Tags: Ikura
Mini Caviar Pies!
Last evening, for our Thursday Night Tasting event, we wanted to serve something in addition to traditional blini and thought, why not mini caviar pies?! It was a bit of a challenge to get used to working with such a petite palette, but they turned out wonderfully. A beautiful and delicious bite-sized treat! This recipe is a keeper for sure.
Ingredients:
6 slices of white sandwich bread
Mustapha’s Moroccan Olive Oil
4 large eggs, hard-boiled
1/4 C. Best Foods Mayonnaise
Fresh Dill
Fresh Chive
Russell’s Original 532 Salt – to taste
1/4 C. Bellwether farms Creme Fraiche
1 oz. Golden Whitefish Caviar
1 oz. Chum Salmon Ikura
1 oz. Paddlefish Caviar
Method:
With a round cookie cutter, make two “pies” per slice of bread. Brush each “pie” with Olive Oil on each side. I did not have access to an oven, so I toasted the pies on a griddle at 400 degrees for about 2 minutes per side. Chop the eggs and combine with the mayo, herbs and salt, to make a nice egg salad.
To assemble, layer 2 tsp. of the egg salad on top of the “pies”, frost with creme fraiche and finish with concentric circles of 3 colors of caviar. Enjoy!
These made for perfect little amuse bouche, and are sure to please. We could hardly wait to take a bite …
Tags: Creme Fraiche, Golden Whitefish, Ikura, Mustapha's Moroccan Olive Oil, Paddlefish Caviar, Russell's Salt
Announcing new Thursday evening tasting hours!
Tags: Amuse Bouche, Caviar, Champagne, Foie Gras
Nostrovia! Celebrate Russia Day this Sunday, June 12th
This Sunday is Russia Day, the national holiday of the Russian Federation. It celebrates the day that the first Congress of the Russian Federation declared a new sovereign nation.
Celebrations in Russia will include song, dance, fireworks, and I imagine … a little caviar and vodka of course.
While caviar was usually reserved for the wealthy during the reign of the Tsars, over time it became more and more embedded in the culture and everyday lives of Russians. In Russia, caviar is enjoyed straight out of the tin or served simply on blini or toast.
Photo Courtesy of the Seattle Times
While you shouldn’t need a reason to enjoy a little caviar, Russia Day is a very good reason indeed. As they say in Russia … Nostrovia!
Tags: Blini
Amuse Bouche du Mois: Black Truffle Hamburgers
Planning on BBQ’ing this holiday weekend? A little fresh black truffle or truffle oil will add a special touch to that ordinary burger …
Photographed by Nick Solares - Courtesy of http://aht.seriouseats.com
You will need:
1 pound coarsely ground sirloin
1 or 2 ounces of fresh black truffle coarsely chopped, or truffle oil to taste.
Gently combine the sirloin and truffles in a large bowl. Form this mixture into burger patties, cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
For optimal results, we suggest that the burgers be cooked on the grill. If the grill is not an option, cook over medium high heat until brown, allowing 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. This recipe makes 2 to 4 burgers.
Fresh black truffles from Provence – $15 per ounce
Truffle Oil – $25 per bottle
Happy Earth Day!
In recognition of Earth Day, we at Seattle Caviar would like to take a minute to talk about the variety of sustainable caviar that we are pleased to feature in our shop.
Due to the unfortunate over-fishing that occured in the Caspian Sea after the break-up of the Soviet Union, as well as other environmental factors, the developement of aquaculture farms around the world is vital to the perservation of the species. All of our sturgeon caviars are sustainable, meaning that the fish are raised in controlled environments identical to those in the wild. The sturgeon caviar that is being produced meets our expectations of flavor, texture, color and quality.
The sturgeon farms that we source our caviar from house the fish in large, above ground tanks of fresh water. Utilizing advanced technology, fisheries biologists are able to monitor the comfort of the fish as well as the elements that determine the quality of caviar that is produced. Such elements include water flow, oxygen levels, and water temperature.
Each viariety of sustainable caviar that we offer is of exceptional quality, prized for their own, individual characteristics. To decide which is your favorite, stop by for a tasting! We offer tastings of our caviar for a minimal fee anytime during business hours. You may also enjoy champagne by the glass as well (of course!).
Tags: Sustainable Caviar
Celebrate Spring with Quail eggs and caviar!
With Springtime here, what better way to celebrate the new season than with a treat of quail eggs topped with your favorite caviar?! Quail eggs make wonderful bite-sized canapes and compliment caviar perfectly. For a nice color contrast, alternate between your favorite sturgeon caviar and a red caviar such as Ikura.
You will need:
10 quail eggs
1 or 2 oz. of your favorite caviar
(recipe found in Caviar: The Definitive Guide by Susie Boeckmann & Natalie Rebeiz-Nielsen.)
1. Drop the quail eggs into a saucepan of hot water. Bring to a rapid boil and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Drain and place the eggs in a bowl fo cold water.
3. Crack each egg all over and and, using the end of a teaspoon, carefully peel off the shell.
4. Cut each egg in half lengthways and place on a plate. Top each egg with a small amount of caviar.
Enjoy this simple, but lovely treat with a glass of bubbly.
Quail Eggs are $3.95 per package of 10.
Tags: Ikura, Quail Eggs, Sturgeon Caviar
Roast Chicken with Fresh Black Truffle
It was pouring down rain last night and I could not resist the temptation to take one of the last of the Perigord Black Truffles home for some “recipe testing”. I knew I had a free range chicken that I was planning on roasting, so why not slip some slices of the glorious truffle under the skin?? I had posted a recipe from Fine Cooking for a Truffle Braised Chicken, but I did not have the Madiera or the chicken stock. Chicken stock was the reason for having the free range chicken, if you really want the truth!! It was already 6:30 and I wanted to have dinner by at least 8:00. I was determined to make dinner with what I had in the house, so it was going to be “simple”. Here’s the sequence of events. I first pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees. Then found what I was going to use. I had carrots, yukon golds, cremini mushrooms, and a lovely red bell pepper, the 4.5lb. chicken and my truffle that was perfuming the kitchen beautifully. In fact, darling husband walked in the room and said “Do I smell truffle??” I quickly responded that it was for recipe testing…i.e work! I peeled and cut the carrots, and potatoes and put them in cold water; seeded and sliced the pepper and washed, dried and quartered the mushrooms. Fortunately, there was a half a cube of softened unsalted butter out. I washed and dried the chicken and set about slicing my beautiful little 1.3 ounce truffle. I figured four slices per breast. I loosened the skin and slid the slices under and added about a tablespoon of softened butter to each breast. Then I tucked the wings under the bird and trussed the legs together. I put the bird in a large ovenproof Emile Henry gratin dish and salted the bird liberally with Sitka Fluer de Sel and into the oven it went. With my vegetables ready for roasting, I noticed that I had about one half of the truffle left. I decided to grate it with my microplane and make a butter compound with the rest of the softened butter. After about 35 minutes I basted the bird and in another 15 I added the vegetables and coated them with the drippings from the bird and added the truffle butter evenly throughout the vegetables. All that was left to do was to make a salad of romaine, arugula, cucumber and avocado. The chicken came out for a rest after an hour and a half. The vegetables were in the oven for fifty minutes. Here’s what it looked like and it was one of the best, simple roast chickens I have ever prepared!
1 Free Range Chicken 4-5lbs.
1 black truffle
4 carrots
3 yukon gold potatoes
1 red bell pepper
6 cremini mushrooms
1/2 cube unsalted butter
Tags: Recipe, Truffle, Truffle Butter
Sustainable Galilee Osetra
Seattle Caviar is pleased to offer Sustainable Caviar Galilee Osetra.
While wild caught sturgeon caviar has always been considered the finest quality, the ongoing development of sturgeon aquaculture has produced comparable sustainable caviar. Using Russian Osetra brood stock, (ascipenser gueldenstaedtii) the sturgeon are raised on a farm in northern Israel using water from the Dan River. This technique has produced Osetra caviar with all the classic characteristics of wild caught sturgeon caviar. It is medium in size and the golden brown beads have a well-defined flavor with rich hints of fruit and nuts with a lovely clean finish.
With the seasons changing and spring in the air, add a spring to your step with Asparagus and Caviar Galilee Osetra.
Amuse Bouche du Mois:
Asparagus and Caviar Galilee Osetra
Adapted from Saveur #94
4 Servings
Salt
12 thick stalks asparagus
1 tbsp. White Truffle Oil
2 oz. Caviar Galilee Osetra
12 fresh chervil leaves
12 statis flowers
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 egg yolk
1 cup grapeseed oil
3 tbsp. heavy cream, whipped
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook until just done, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, remove asparagus from pot and transfer to a large bowl of ice water.
Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water. When asparagus is cold, remove stalks from cold water and blot them dry. Trim each stalk on the bias to a length of about 5 inches. Cut out a 1½ inch notch about ½ inch deep from each stalk about 1 inch from the bottom. Transfer stalks to a plate and set aside.
For the sauce: Whisk mustard, vinegar and egg yolk together in a medium bowl. Pour in oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. After a thick mayonnaise forms, slowly add reserved asparagus water, 1 tbsp at a time, to thin it our. Finished sauce should be slightly thicker than heavy cream.
Fold whipped cream gently into mayonnaise until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
To assemble: Put 2 tbsp sauce in middle of plate and gently spread it out, using the back of a spoon and tipping plate from side to side to create a rectangle 3½ by 7½ inches.
Brush asparagus with truffle oil, fill each notch with ½ – 1 tsp of the caviar and garnish with chervil leaves and statis flowers.
Galilee Osetra $125.00 per ounce
White Truffle Oil $25.00 per 8.3 oz bottle
Tags: Osetra Caviar, White Truffle Oil
The Freshest Creme Fraiche
Very, very, quiet around Seattle Caviar today. I just finished reading a nice article about creme fraiche in the Gourmet Retailer. Our favorite brand to keep at the shop and to use at home, is the Bellwether Farms brand. It is delicious, not only with caviar, but with myriad of recipes. Use a bit in salad dressing, mixed with lemon or vinegar, with berry desserts, in sauces, on potatoes. Add a spoonful at the last minute into a sauce to lend a silky, creamy richness to a dish. I just had some creme fraiche and and Ikura (again) on some toast for lunch.
Try making some fresh, just like a French farmwife:
This recipe is from “The Cheese Lover’s Cookbook & Guide”
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 buttermik
1/4 cup yougurt with acidophilus cultures
Place the cream, buttermilk and yogurt in a sterilized jar or bowl. Stir vigorously to mix. Cover the container with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for four to eight hours, or overnight, until thickened . Refrigerate once the creme fraiche has almost reached the desired consistency. It will continue to thicken as it chills. Use within one week.
