Best Ways to Serve Caviar
If you know the best ways to serve caviar, you can easily convey the ambiance associated with this delicacy. Caviar – the word itself evokes luxury and opulence. It’s a wonderful addition to your cocktail or dinner party. Caviar is the roe (that is, the eggs) of a specific sort of fish, the sturgeon, from a specific region, the Black and Caspian Seas. However, there are different varieties, including Beluga, Ossetra and Sevruga. Beluga is the largest and softest kind and therefore the most expensive. Ossetra is medium-sized, and Sevruga is the smallest sort.
Whichever one of those you choose, first make sure you’re serving fresh caviar, the kind that needs to be refrigerated. Don’t buy something off the shelf to serve by itself. After all, this is caviar. Its very essence is suggesting opulence and rarity. The shelf kind simply will not taste as good.
Do not fear that a metal spoon will spoil the taste. Caviar is generally shipped in a metal tin. Just make sure you are using a non-reactive metal, in which case a sterling silver spoon won’t do. You can use a mother-of-pearl caviar spoon, a gold caviar spoon, a small glass spoon or just a simple plastic spoon! However your guests may balk if you use the spork you’ve purloined from the local fried chicken establishment. It’s not much effort to purchase the right sort of spoon if you’re bothering to purchase the right sort of caviar. The metal spoon won’t adversely affect the caviar, but it may affect your guests’ mentality towards the quality of your caviar.
It is important to keep the caviar fresh. Thus, it should be served on a bed of ice. There are special serving dishes available that nestle the serving dish within a larger dish that can be filled with ice. But you can also simply nestle the container the caviar came in (lid included, to show where it’s from and what sort it is) on a bed of ice in a larger dish. Any small dish, such as a ramekin, will also work if kept, as said, on a bed of ice. Freshness is of the utmost importance. The caviar you purchase should be served as soon as possible as it will spoil in a matter of a couple of weeks. The ice is vital, as well, throughout the event. You don’t want to waste the precious roe if you don’t bother to keep it chilled.
As caviar is a traditional Russian delicacy, vodka is a perfect complement. Serve your caviar with shots of fresh, chilled fine Russian vodka to set the tone for your party. Spread the caviar across fresh crusty bread or toast points. Mere crackers won't do it justice. Caviar of quality, which presumably you are intending to serve, is best eaten without any adornment. Its own flavor will please enough and citrus, salt or seasoning will only detract from its flavor. You can serve lesser caviars with sour cream, atop Russian blinis, or accompanied by lemon, capers and chopped onion.
However you choose to do it, properly serving your caviar will elevate the tone of your next cocktail party to a sophisticated event.
