I adore eating caviar straight from the tin with nothing added.  No egg, no onions, no blini… just plain caviar. At the same time, I’m always looking for caviar recipes that highlight the caviar, and ideally actually add to and improve the experience of eating caviar.

I have finally found such a recipe. The basis of the recipe came from “Alfred Portale’s 12 Seasons Cookbook”. The slightly poached Bluepoint oysters served in their shell with a leek, shallot and heavy cream sauce, and topped with a generous dollop of Black River Caviar was perhaps the most delicious caviar recipe I have ever had.  The combination of ingredients was absolutely perfect.

The leeks and first stages of the cream sauce can be prepared ahead of time, leaving only the oyster shucking and poaching and final assembly for the last minute.  This caviar recipe would be perfect as a first course for any holiday or special occasion meal.

Ingredients:

2 leeks, white parts only, sliced into 1/6 inch rounds

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon finely minced shallots

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Fleur de sel

24 BluePoint oysters, or use Wellfleet, Kumamoto or Malpeque oysters

1 tablespoon finely minced chives

2 ounces Black River Caviar (or use another high quality osetra caviar)

Fresh tarragon or chervil sprigs for garnish

Coarse salt such as ice cream salt, for serving

Instructions:

Cook the leeks for 6 – 8 minutes or until tender, in a saucepan of boiling salted water. Drain and plunge the leeks into ice water. Drain again and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the shallots until softened, about 4 – 6 minutes. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated (about 1 tablespoon of liquid remaining). Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cream reduces slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter one piece at a time, until the sauce is rich and slightly thickened. Season with cayenne and fleur de sel. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

Working over a bowl to catch the oyster juices, hold oyster firmly in the palm of your hand using a towel to protect your palm. Insert an oyster knife into the hinge at the pointed end of the oyster. Work it in, using steady, even pressure. Pop open the shell, then run the blade around until you cut the muscle that attaches the top of the shell to the oyster. Remove the top shell. Slide knife under the oyster, finding where it is attached to the bottom shell, and cut through. Continue this with all 24 oysters. Add the oysters to the escaped oyster liquor in the bowl. Reserve the deep bottom shell and discard the top, flat shell. Wash and dry the reserved shells.

Add the reserved leeks to the cream sauce and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes.  Add the oysters and reserved liquor (which might need to be strained if any shell particles fell into the bowl).  Cook for about 1 minute, until just heated through.  The oysters will swell just slightly.  Remove from the heat and stir in the chives.

Arrange the clean, dry shells on a bed of seaweed or rock salt. Spoon some leeks and sauce onto the shells, and set one oyster on top of the leeks.  Spoon a small amount of sauce over the tops of the oysters.  Garnish each oyster with a dollop of Black River Caviar and a sprig of tarragon or chervil.

Serve immediately.

Caviar is often associated with holiday festivities.  Here’s a little history about the origins and current production of sturgeon fish caviar.

Long associated with the indulgent lifestyle led by European monarchy and other members of Europe’s ruling classes, caviar boasts a particularly strong historic connection with the incalculably wealthy members of the Russian Imperial Court. The strength of that historic connection is only natural, as sturgeon fish caviar originating in the slightly saline waters of the Caspian Sea shared by Russia and Iran came to be not only highly prized but almost revered by the Russian Tsars and Tsaritsas, eventually becoming a significant part of their diet.

The Russians weren’t the only early caviar devotees, however. The Persians, whose country stretched across the Caspian’s sparkling southern shores, were the first to prepare and delight in sturgeon fish caviar, attributing an assortment of medicinal powers to the delicacy. In fact, the name “caviar” is derived from the word “khav-yar,” meaning “cake of power” or “cake of strength” in Persian.

As time passed, caviar came to be considered the quintessential indulgence in nearly every European culture. For example, several centuries ago, British kings reserved the consumption of sturgeon and their roe to members of the royalty. In short, this superb culinary indulgence has captured the hearts and palates of discriminating connoisseurs throughout the world for more than two thousand years.

No matter which species of sturgeon produce the roe – beluga, sterlet, osetra (also spelled ossetra) or sevruga – caviar has always been a highly coveted symbol of wealth, opulence and power surrounded by Old World traditions and mystique. Although Eastern hemisphere sturgeon are also native to the Black Sea and, to a much lesser degree, the Adriatic Sea and several Siberian and Chinese rivers, the primary source of wild sturgeon and their roe has always been the Caspian Sea.

Unfortunately, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, commercial overfishing and caviar’s exceptional popularity among the wealthy led to a precipitous decline in the Caspian’s sturgeon population. In an interesting turn of events, the American caviar industry began to burgeon at almost the same time, focusing at first on the roe of native sturgeon found in the Atlantic seaboard’s Delaware River. American caviar was abundant, especially when compared to the declining availability of roe from the Caspian Sea. In fact, the supply was so plentiful that American sturgeon fish caviar was served in bars and pubs to encourage patrons to drink more alcoholic beverages. American sturgeon roe was frequently fed to pets or even discarded.

By the late 19th century, 90% of the world’s caviar came from American sturgeon roe. American sturgeon fish caviar was exported to a large number of countries, sometimes being sold deceptively as “Russian caviar.” Sadly, history repeated itself, as it so often does. Overfishing caused the depletion of wild American sturgeon, just as it did with the sturgeon native to the Caspian Sea. As a result, commercial sturgeon fishing in the United States was banned in 1906. Eventually the Soviet Union followed suit by restricting commercial sturgeon fishing. Today, the world’s wild sturgeon population is so depleted the fish are recognized as endangered species.

The American caviar industry has, however, made a remarkable comeback from its perch on the brink of disaster. The dearth of Caspian Sea sturgeon and political unrest in Russia and Iran, coupled with refinements in modern aquaculture techniques, now lead many connoisseurs to buy caviar produced in the United States. For example, the flavorful California osetra produced by Tsar Nicoulai Caviar through its sustainable farming techniques is winning praise for its rich, clean taste and full, buttery finish.

Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, Uruguay’s Black River Caviar and Petrossian Caviar all produce superb sturgeon fish caviar worthy of the world’s most discriminating palates by successfully employing responsible, sustainable sturgeon farming methods. Thanks to producers like these, caviar’s luxury and opulence can continue to be savored despite the near-extinction of wild sturgeon.

The highly distinctive, rich bursts of flavor and delightful texture offered by caviar have long made it the quintessential culinary symbol of luxury.  The delicate, delectable pearls of sturgeon roe literally pop with flavor and have delighted the palates of the wealthy for centuries.

Procuring wild sturgeon roe to make caviar has always been a time-consuming, costly process, and except for a brief period when American caviar was plentiful, the delicacy has always been priced accordingly.  Unfortunately, despite its high price, caviar is such an indulgent, nearly ideal blend of flavors and texture that it has always been remarkably popular with those who are able to afford it.  Relentless demand, overfishing and pollution of their natural habitats have caused the near-extinction of wild sturgeon species throughout the world.

Fortunately for caviar connoisseurs, improvements in sustainable aquaculture have made it possible to raise sturgeon and produce superb caviar in an economically viable manner despite the depletion of the world’s wild sturgeon population.  A handful of producers throughout the world, including California’s Tsar Nicoulai Caviar and Uruguay’s Black River Caviar, employ the latest in sustainable sturgeon farming techniques.  While these two companies are certainly in the forefront of the sustainable, farmed caviar movement, companies in Spain and France are also involved.

Osetra Caviar

Although Tsar Nicoulai and Black River both employ sustainable sturgeon farming methods, the two companies raise sturgeon in different ways.  For example, Tsar Nicoulai produces its superlative osetra American caviar from the roe of farmed native California sturgeon.  In compliance with the principles of Organic Food Production and Organic Food Processing, Tsar Nicoulai does not use fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones, ionizing radiation, biocides, pesticides or bioengineering at its sustainable sturgeon farms, but it does feed wholesome, organic food to its sturgeon.  The company’s fish swim in pure, artesian well water, free of pollutants.  Its California Estate Osetra is one of the freshest caviars available and rivals wild caviar in flavor, texture and overall quality.  Some of the world’s top chefs buy caviar from Tsar Nicoulai and proudly serve it in their haute cuisine restaurants.

Black River Caviar, on the other hand, produces world-renowned caviar from Siberian sturgeon raised from fertilized roe imported to Uruguay.  Black River prides itself on its “wild-raised” sturgeon farming techniques, where the sturgeon live within unspoiled environmental conditions that closely replicate what they would experience in the wild but without the presence of toxic pollutants.  Black River also feeds its sturgeon an all-natural, organic feed.  The company’s efforts primarily concentrate on recreating “life in the wild” for its sturgeon, from the beginning of the life cycle until the moment the roe are harvested.  The result is caviar that is neither wild nor farm-raised.  Instead, it is uniquely – and sustainably – “wild-raised.”  Black River’s osetra sturgeon caviar is almost indistinguishable from wild osetra.

The caviar industry’s shift to aquaculture, coupled with restrictions on commercial fishing, resulting from the endangered status of all sturgeon species, provides a “breather” for the world’s wild sturgeon population. It could potentially allow it to rebound while still permitting the production of high quality caviar.  For example, the sustainably farmed American caviar produced by Tsar Nicoulai is some of the highest quality osetra caviar in the world.

Restrictions on commercial sturgeon fishing, together with import restrictions on Caspian and Black Sea caviar, have also had the effect of increasing imported caviar prices.  Those who wish to buy caviar are increasingly turning to sustainable, farmed caviar for several reasons.   It enables them to continue enjoying superb caviar without needing to pay the inflated prices now associated with imported wild caviar, and it allows them to continue to savor their favorite delicacy without putting additional pressure on the depleted wild caviar population.

In addition, those who buy caviar produced in a sustainable manner also enjoy health benefits.  Unlike the heavily polluted waters of the Caspian Sea, the environment that sustainably farmed sturgeon live within is pollution-free.  It stands to reason that caviar from sturgeon living in fresh, free-flowing, unpolluted water would be much healthier to consume than caviar from sturgeon living in waters polluted with toxic substances.

Although we enjoy all the traditional dishes on Thanksgiving – turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, yams and green beans – we always like to add a touch of luxury and surprise to the Thanksgiving menu. Here are some of our favorites…

Our all time favorite Thanksgiving side dish is whole foie gras braised in wine and garlic. Just before serving, the juices and rendered fat from the foie gras, the wine in which it was cooked, and about half of the 50 cloves of garlic are pureed. This sauce, along with the sliced braised foie gras and remaining whole cloves of garlic is absolutely delicious with Turkey or any other type of fowl.

To prepare this scrumptious dish, first take a 1.5 pound whole lobe of grade A foie gras and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Heat a pan large enough to hold the lobe of foie gras, then brown the foie gras on all sides over medium to medium high heat. (This will take about 10 – 15 minutes and the inside should not be cooked yet.)

Meanwhile blanch about 50 peeled garlic cloves for a few minutes. Remove the foie gras when it’s golden brown and set it aside. Add the garlic to the rendered fat in the pan and cook for a few minutes. Add about 1 cup of dry white wine and some thyme or rosemary leaves to the garlic and foie gras fat. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the taste of the sauce is to your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the foie gras to the pan with the garlic and juices and continue to cook just until the foie gras is done (check it with a knife).

Remove the foie gras from the pan again. Put all the liquid in a blender with half the garlic cloves. Blend until smooth.

Slice the foie gras and present it on a plate with the whole garlic cloves. Pour the sauce around the foie gras and serve. Garnish with fresh herbs.

If you would like to add foie gras to your meal, but you want to keep it simple and economical, just before serving the stuffing, saute a bag of foie gras cubes (1 lb. is $45) until golden brown (add salt and pepper to taste), and mix the small pieces of foie gras into the stuffing.

We always prefer to serve light appetizers in order to preserve everyone’s appetites for the main meal. Caviar and champagne is a wonderful way to kick off the Thanksgiving celebration! Though caviar can be prepared with other ingredients, we think caviar is best served alone in a crystal, glass, or porcelain bowl, preferably on ice. If you prefer a less formal presentation, or wish to pass the appetizers, try caviar on toast points or blini.

This year Perigord black truffles will not be ripe in time for Thanksgiving. If you want to add fresh truffles to your Thanksgiving meal, we suggest shaving white truffles over your mashed potatoes, or potatoes gratin. The wonderful favor and fragrance of white truffles is a perfect match with creamy potatoes.

Burgundy truffles will also pair well with Thanksgiving dinner. Add sliced Burgundy truffles to your stuffing just before serving (do not cook them), or top a pumpkin soup with shavings of Burgundy truffles.

Adding a touch of luxury to Thanksgiving dinner is easy!  Please let us know if we can assist you in any way with your menu planning.

I’ve been attending the NASFT Fancy Food Show since I was a child. My great Uncle was in the candy business (we called it the candy show back then) and always got my family in for a day of total indulgence!  

Now, we attend the Fancy Food Show with a different agenda. Though I always enjoy checking out all the new products in every category, my focus is finding new products to offer our clients.

Many of the wonderful products shown at the Fancy Food Show don’t really fit our product line of luxury and French foods; however, there were a few worth considering.  

More Than Gourmet offers high quality stock and demi-glace that assists chefs and home cooks in making delicious sauces. Stocks are available in veal, venison, lamb, chicken, turkey, duck, seafood, vegetable and mushroom. Though I frequently make my own stock (even those that take 48 hours), there are times when it would be so convenient to be able to start my sauce with a high quality, ready-made stock that only needs to be reconstituted. From there, I can add my shallots, garlic, wine, or whatever, to make the final sauce.  We are waiting for samples, to make sure we like the taste and quality of the stocks and demi-glace, but we are hopeful about this product line!

One of the most innovative products we tasted at the show was a line of savory macaroons. The macaroons were in three flavors, goat cheese, black truffle, and porcini mushroom. These scrumpti0us morsels are not yet on the market, and we hope to be the first to carry them.  

Some additional products we might introduce to our line include escargot, marron glace (candied chestnuts), truffle honey, and French chocolate.  We’d love to hear from you if you have other ideas or requests!  

Somewhat surprisingly, there were no producers of top quality caviar at the show.  There were several “affordable” alternatives, but nothing that we thought measured up to the two brands we currently carry, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar and Black River Caviar.

There were more booths than I remember seeing in past years marketing fresh truffle mushrooms and truffle products.  Since white truffles are no longer in season, and black truffles are at the height of their season, there were several companies with a basket full of beautiful, fragrant black truffles from the Perigord in France.  There were also truffle producers from Oregon and other regions (Oregon truffles are not the same species as Perigord truffles).  Though North Carolina has a growing number of farms cultivated the Perigord variety of black truffles, there were no producers at the show from this region.  

There were only three or four producers featuring foie gras or foie gras products, most of which we already carry on our site.  Notably, Hudson Valley Foie Gras was at the show (they don’t usually exhibit at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, only in New York), serving up fresh seared foie gras, foie gras torchon, duck proscuitto and magret de canard.  They were clearly there to not only sample their wonderful products, but also to reach out to the food community regarding the pending legislation in California, banning the sale of foie gras in the state, beginning in July 2012.  

One of Hudson Valley Foie Gras’ founders, Izzy, was there collecting signatures from those who wanted to help keep Hudson Valley Foie Gras available in California.  Hudson Valley Foie Gras raises their ducks free range, and hand feeds the ducks when it’s time for gavage. The company believes they should be excluded from the ban, based on the measures they have taken to keep the birds healthy, comfortable and stress free.  

A general observation about the 2010 San Francisco Fancy Food Show was the large number of gluten free foods being offered.  I don’t remember ever seeing so many foods marketed as being gluten free, but this year they were everywhere!  As always, there were a host of olive oils, dressings, salsas, chocolate and candy and of course cheese.  

We thoroughly enjoyed the show as we always do, and hope to soon be featuring some of the newly found French food and luxury products on our website.

Yesterday, while shooting videos for YouTube, I had the chance to taste four Tsar Nicoulai caviar products: TNC Classic Caviar, California Estate Osetra Caviar, Select California Estate Osetra Caviar, and Reserve California Estate Osetra Caviar.  It was really interesting to see and taste the differences.  While all four types of caviar were very tasty–fresh and creamy, I found that my preference was in the exact order of quality and price.  I liked the Reserve California Osetra (Tsar Nicoulai’s top California Osetra product) the most, and the TNC Classic Caviar (Tsar Nicoulai’s most affordable option) the least.

I even did a blind taste test to verify my preferences.  Tasting the products out of order and with eyes closed (with the help of my husband), I was able to correctly identify each type of caviar by the firmness of the eggs, size of eggs, and flavor.

Don’t get me wrong.  I would be happy to be served any of the four types of caviar.  Had I not tasted them side by side with intense concentration, I’m not sure I could have said which was which.  And of course, taste is such a personal thing.  Someone else might have preferred any of the four over the others.

I’ll try to describe the differences I observed.

TNC Classic Malossol Caviar: The eggs were the least firm of the four types of caviar.  The medium sized eggs were dark charcoal in color.  I would tend to use this lower-priced product for recipes, versus straight out of the jar… It was perfectly adequate, but not as smooth and defined as the California Estate Osetras.

California Estate Osetra Caviar: This caviar was the most black in color of the four, with egg size about the same as the TNC (medium).  Slightly firmer, with a more intense caviar flavor.  Very good!

Select California Estate Osetra: The caviar has a larger bead size and a light charcoal color.  The eggs were firm, and the flavor wonderful, smooth and creamy.  This caviar was noticeably smoother than the first two.  A really delicious product.

Reserve California Estate Osetra: The Reserve was definitely my favorite.  With the largest bead size, and a light beige/charcoal color (the lightest in color of the four), this caviar is magnificent.  It was very smooth and clean.  The eggs seemed the most firm and defined and had the most “pop”.

Tsar Nicloulai is a pioneer in the production of sustainable caviar and has done a very fine job of supplying an excellent product, at reasonable prices, without further endangering sturgeon (all wild sturgeon are endangered).  I think it’s great that there are a range of products to suit different palates, purposes and budgets.  For example, the price of the TNC Classic Caviar is half that of the California Estate Osetra, and one third the price of the Reserve.

There are other sustainable caviar products on the market, including Black River Caviar, a company which imported Siberian sturgeon fertilized roe in 1995 and produces a magnificent ossetra Malossol caviar from sturgeon “wild raised” in Uruguay.  The price of Black River Caviar is comparable to Tsar Nicoulai’s premium California Osetra.

If you enjoy caviar, join chefs and connoisseurs around the world who have chosen sustainable caviar as their caviar of choice.

Whether it’s imported caviar or American caviar, the most important factor in storing caviar is keeping the product at proper temperature.

Caviar should be stored at 26 – 35 degrees fahrenheit.  The coldest part of the refrigerator is usually the back.  The safest way to store caviar at proper temperature is to place the caviar on a bed of ice in a sealed bag and change the ice when it melts.  Unopened, most caviar products will last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.  Once a can or jar is opened, caviar should be enjoyed within a few days.

If you want to store an opened jar or tin of caviar longer than a few days, it’s best to cover the remaining caviar with a small piece of plastic wrap to prevent air from getting to the caviar.

When eating caviar, always use a mother of pearl, bone, wood, or glass spoon.  Stainless steel utensils can give the caviar a tinny taste.

Please visit our online store to view our caviar selections.  We have a large selection of caviar gift boxes, and well as premium caviar products by sustainable caviar pioneers, Black River Caviar and Tsar Nicoulai Caviar.

I learned about the company Black River Caviar on Twitter.  I don’t even remember what the post said, but I decided to check out the company.  I have been very impressed with Black River Caviar beginning with the first conversation, but after trying a sample of their product, and reading about their production methods, I am even more impressed.  Below is the story Black River Caviar tells.  I think it’s pretty compelling…

We would like to describe in some detail the principals which set apart our one of a kind farming facilities and allow us to set the standard for a totally new concept: the WILD-RAISED production of caviar.

To date the consumer has known about only two sources of caviar:

1.   the Caspian Sea area (Russia and Iran), where caviar is harvested from the wild sturgeon.

2.   The other known source is newer and less appetizing: it involves sturgeon being Farm-Raised. This process involves a closed circuit of recirculated waters (99%) in artificial pools or tanks, which require the overused water be treated with filters and chemical products.

From its inception, Black River Caviar sought out the perfect environment within which we knew we could match the quality of wild caviar production.

We have therefore designed all our facilities on our farm in such a way that they are harmoniously adapted to the environment and best utilize the pristine natural habitat that is the Rio Negro – Uruguay.

Our guiding philosophical principal is the recreation of ‘life in the wild’ for the sturgeon: from day one until the moment of our caviar harvesting.

Our facilities are divided into three areas:

1.    The Hatchery

2.    Baygorria Lake

3.    The Raceways System

The imported Russian sturgeon eggs are housed in the Hatchery: an environment which simulates the bottom of the river were Russian sturgeon naturally spawn.

Then, over the next six to nine months, we then do a natural classification – selecting the best young sturgeon to send to the lake. This environment corresponds very closely to that of the Caspian Sea with its slow and natural water streams. Here, in a stress-free environment, our fish are fed special organic feed and allowed to grow in the most healthy and natural way.

At this point all the females are tagged with a special microchip in order for us to literally follow their maturation process with the necessary detail required.

Once the females start to produce their first roe,  we move them to the Raceways systems, which again is a perfect simulation of the river delta and its requisite rapids.

This unprecedented system moves about 50 million Gallons through the Raceways each day – constantly guaranteeing that the water is 100% fresh and free-flowing. We therefore have no need for any water recycling, or any kind of water treatments or filters.

The volume of water running through the system guarantees a totally unspoiled environment in which the water is naturally oxygenated when flowing through our cascade system. This system is comprised of 80 concrete raceways, each of 150 meters, and each which we handle individually.

Due to this design we can work with the sturgeon twenty-four hours a day and we are able to change the water speed, quantity and depth of each unit in order to simulate the females’ natural journey up the river.

The continuous exercise the Sturgeon get in this environment – constantly swimming against the fresh water streams – allows our fish to grow and mature in a fashion which ensures a quality akin to their wild counterparts.

Our entire operation is based on ensuring quality sturgeon by creating a uniquely planned environment that mimicks the natural environment allowing for a completely new classification of caviar: not wild and not farm-raised – ours is uniquely WILD-RAISED.