American Caviar Recipes

Sterling Classic Caviar with Ahi Tuna and Cauliflower Cream
From Jardiniere, San Francisco

serves 6-8

1 lb. Ahi Tuna (cleaned fish cut into block shape) yields 2 oz per person
1/2 head Cauliflower cut into florets
2 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 oz Sterling Classic Caviar
1 bunch Chives, sliced thin
1 Tbls neutral cooking oil

Place cauliflower in stainless steel pot. Add heavy cream and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour or until cauliflower falls apart when touched. Blend cream and cauliflower while warm in a powerful blender till smooth, adjust seasoning.

Lightly salt and pepper tuna and sear in a lightly oiled pan on high heat for five seconds on all sides. Remove from heat.

Spoon warm cauliflower cream on bottom of plates. Slice tuna into thin slices (three slices per person) and place on sauce. Spoon a dollop of caviar onto the center of the tuna slices and sprinkle with chives. Serve

Optional

Sterling Classic Caviar with Ahi Tuna, Cauliflower Cream and Uni Butter

All ingredients above plus:
6 pieces of Uni (Sea Urchin Roe)
2 Tbls Meyer Lemon Juice
2 Tbls Butter

In a small pan melt butter on very low heat, add lemon juice and combine. Add Uni pieces and warm lightly for 10 seconds. Season with a small pinch of salt. Plate Ahi as above then spoon a small amount of uni sauce around the outside of the cauliflower sauce and then serve.

Salmon Tartare with Smoked Salmon and American Caviar
From Restaurant rm, New York

Yield: 4 appetizer servings.

Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 T fresh lime juice
1 T fish sauce (available in specialty food markets)
2 1/2 T diced shallot
2 1/2 T chopped capers
1 tsp tabasco
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 oz salmon (preferably from the belly), skinned and large diced
3 T chopped chives
3 T chopped parsley
1 tsp fresh dill

4 slices smoked salmon, sliced into 1" wide ribbons
4 oz rainbow trout roe or paddlefish roe (or other American caviar) for garnish
white bread for toast, crust removed and sliced into four triangles
4 oz pea shoots, tossed with lemon juice (1/4 lemon), 1T olive oil, salt & pepper

Method:

Whip the egg yolks, mustard, lemon and lime juice, fish sauce, diced shallot, capers, tabasco and white pepper together. Add the oil drop by drop at first, whisking the mixture vigorously until the oil begins to incorporate into the mixture. Then, pour the oil in a slow and steady stream while constantly whisking until sauce emulsifies. Taste for seasoning (citrus, fish sauce, pepper).

Spoon half of the sauce into a bowl and add the diced salmon, folding until it is well mixed. Add enough additional sauce to just coat the salmon; leftover sauce may be reserved in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Fold in fresh herbs.

Place a ring mold of the desired portion size (use a tuna can with top and bottom removed, or PVC piping, available at home improvement stores) into the center of a serving plate. Fill the mold to capacity, pat down with the base of a spoon, and then gently remove the mold. You should have a perfectly round disk of tartare to wrap with smoked salmon.

Wrap one slice of smoked salmon around the outside of the tartare, overlapping the ends to seal, and spread one ounce of caviar over the top, to cover. Serve with an ounce or so of pea shoots (present three little piles around the tartare) and toast points, four slices per person (placed in between pea shoots). Serve.

Three American Caviar with Blinis and Crème Fraîche
From Restaurant rm, New York

Yield: 4 appetizer servings.

Begin making the blinis about 2 hours before serving because once the batter is finished, it won't hold too long. Another option: make the blinis ahead, and re-warm them in a low oven covered with damp kitchen towels.

1 cup milk
1 packet yeast (1/4oz)
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk (extra large)
2 oz canola oil
1 egg white

4 oz paddlefish roe
4 oz rainbow trout roe
4 oz beluga caviar (from farms in CA, such as Sterling)

6-8 oz crème fraîche, spooned into a small crock for serving

Combine the milk, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Blend well and set aside.

Put the egg yolk in a mixing bowl and beat with a wire whisk until smooth. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly to emulsify. Beat until it is the consistency of mayonnaise. Set aside.

Add the flour to the milk and stir to combine, taking care not to over mix. Fold in the mayonnaise until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and move to a warm spot for 45-50 minutes, or until the batter has doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, in a very clean, dry bowl, beat the egg white to a soft peak. After the batter has doubled in size, fold the egg whites into it very gently. Use the batter within 30 minutes.

Cook the blinis like pancakes: lightly oil a griddle or a non-stick pan and place over medium heat. Spoon a small amount of batter on to the surface, to make a round that is about 1 1/2" in diameter. Leave at least one inch in between, make as many as the surface will comfortably hold. When the bottom has lifted (and turning it reveals a light brown surface, about 15 seconds), flip and finish cooking on the other side. Cook for another 10-15 seconds.

Remove blinis to a warm bowl or basket lined with a kitchen towel. Wrap to keep warm. This recipe makes approximately 32 blinis, or enough for 8 blinis per person.

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