Going Roe-gue... Marveen Learns About Caviar

My friend, Mylan reads the New Orleans Times Picayune daily online to keep up on her hometown. She always prints out the food articles which come out on Thursday, and we go over them together for ideas for the annual cookbook we’re working on for the Webster Women’s Club. The other day, she came over with her printouts and said, “Marveen, I want to make this caviar mousse recipe for your New Year’s Eve party, but I need to know how many people you’re going to have because it’s supposed to be served in individual saucer champagne glasses. Also, do you have any of those types of glasses I could use?”

I replied, “I have a dozen coupe glasses that I inherited from my uncle Seaborne Aiken, but you know, for a larger party like we’re having – and we never know who is going to wind up dropping by – don’t you think it would be better to try and make one large mold, and set it out with toast points? Besides, I have an idea ,” I trailed off as I perused the various recipes using caviar.

Mylan knows me so well. She threw up her hands, and said, “I can already tell your wheels are a-turning. Let’s drive to Columbus and get the ingredients.” And off we went.

I was happy with the outcome; it really looked beautiful, and to Mylan’s delight, it represented Saints colors, and she declared it would be the perfect party dish for the Saints Super Bowl party that she is already planning. This instigated much protest from my husband, Bryce, a die-hard Falcons fan, but that’s another story. . .

Back to my recipe: I seasoned up the mousse a bit more than the original recipe since it wasn’t actually mixed with the caviar. My friend, Ginger was over at my house helping with party preparations while we were making the mousse, and she chided me that I should never mix caviar with anything so fussy.

“It should be at the very most served on blini with a little crème fraîche,” she continued, “but purists think it should be simply enjoyed alone with a single shot of quality vodka.”

Mylan rolled her eyes at me with her back turned to Ginger. She said, “Ginger, do you even know what blini and crème fraîche are? I know you know what a shot of vodka is but, for that matter, have you ever even tried caviar?”

Ginger snapped back, “I certainly have! It comes on my crabby roll I always order at Suki Saki every week!”

“That’s not caviar; that’s roe,” Mylan retorted.

Ginger ignored her. “And blini are little pancakes and crème fraîche is sour cream. I’m not stupid, Mylan!” She narrowed her eyes at her and then glanced at me.

Eventually, all four eyes were imploring me to step in. I’m usually the one who has to settle their frequent melees. The situation exists because Mylan has actually been exposed to society functions growing up in New Orleans, but even though she can hobnob with the best, she’s far too practical to become enchanted by it. Ginger on the other hand, while never having had attended a fancy caviar-serving soiree, likes to think she’s going to eventually marry a wealthy city slicker who will routinely take her to such events, so she avidly reads up on subjects such as caviar, couture and carats. The problem is she usually consults articles in Cosmo for the bulk of her research, so Mylan doesn’t respect most of Ginger’s suppositions.

I thought of the best way to keep the peace. “Actually, the – uh hem – fish eggs we have here are not true caviar to purists; it’s really just roe, so it’s ok to punch spice it up a bit. I agree, if we had spent the money for the good stuff, I wouldn’t be putting it on a mousse I stuck in a Duncan Hines tart tin.” I smiled.

Ginger walked over to the counter and picked up the jar. “It says right here, ‘CAVIAR’. What do you mean it isn’t?” Her poufy blonde hair bounced in indignation.

“I found this at Cost Plus Market for $8.99. It says it’s black lumpfish caviar, product of Iceland,” I read off the label. “Oooh, look, it has food dye in it to make it black. I wonder what color it was naturally.”

“Probably gray,” Mylan said. “The best caviar only comes from the Caspian Sea, and they don’t add color to it.”

I wanted to change the subject to whether or not we had enough champagne; however, before I could successfully deter the conversation, Ginger ran over to the computer.

“I’m just wondering if we can find a local caviar recipe. You know, something people may have traditionally prepared in Georgia, or at least something southern. No one here is Russian anyway.”

Mylan did a double eye roll. “Ginger, I don’t think . . .” She stopped suddenly; a look of surprise crossed her face momentarily which quickly changed to a grin. On the computer where Ginger had Googled “Georgia caviar” was an exact match. Ginger had clicked on the link, and the screen revealed Paula Deen’s smiling face with a recipe for a black-eyed pea salad called South Georgia ‘Caviar’.’ Mylan laughed, “Well, let’s make that, too, so we can get in our black-eyed peas for the New Year!”

The next day, with the success of the party behind me, I began my first research of the new year on caviar, roe, and the various ways to serve it. I didn’t realize I was on my way to over a week of research which I absolutely devoured. Who knew those little fish had such an interesting story. . .

First, I should say, Ginger was correct that many believe the finest caviar should be served in very modest portions by itself, chilled over ice with mother of pearl spoons (metal is said to change the taste), and with vodka; however it’s very acceptable to eat caviar on blini with crème fraîche. The reason for this combination seems to go back to Russian tradition. I was intrigued enough to look into this tradition as a separate subject:

Blini are buckwheat pancakes. I was surprised they are leavened with yeast, not like the pancakes and crepes we’re used to which use baking powder. It’s a rich batter that contains milk, butter and eggs. The making of these pancakes go back to ancient myths and beliefs surrounding birth and death and fortune. In pre-Christian Russia, there was a spring festival honoring Volos, the god of wealth and cattle. During such early Slavic celebrations the custom of serving Blini represented an offering to the deceased. The round discs are also seen as a symbol of the sun, which the spring holiday also celebrates. Later under Christian rule, Volos was replaced by St. Blaise, a healer of animals, and the festival merged into Maslentsa, or “Butter Week” (the “mas” part of the word has its roots in the Slavic word for butter). Maslentsa corresponds to Mardi Gras, the pre-lenten festivities before Ash Wednesday. During this Russian Carnival, blini is eaten in copious amounts served with various accoutrements, such as caviar, sour cream, smoked salmon, pickled herring, mushrooms, jams, hard boiled eggs, and onions.

Crème fraîche (pronounced “krem fresh”) really is just sour cream that is a little higher in fat and less sour than commercial sour cream. It is a traditional product in France, particularly, the areas of Normandy and Brittany. If the cream is not pasteurized, it can simply be set aside, and the natural bacteria will cause the cream to sour naturally. You can make your own crème fraîche with commercial pasteurized cream, by adding a tablespoon of buttermilk per cup of cream and let it sit at room temperature for 24 – 36 hours (ultra pasteurized cream will take a little longer). It should develop a slightly sour, nutty flavor; then, it may be kept in the refrigerator where it will continue to age for up to 10 days.

True caviar is from the sturgeon, an ancient bottom-dwelling fish that is a direct descendant of the fish swimming the seas during the days of dinosaurs 250 million years ago. Like salmon, they live in salt water, but go to fresh water to spawn. There are over twenty species, and all live in the northern hemisphere. Some varieties live to be over a hundred years old and are twenty before they reach sexual maturity. This makes them very vulnerable to overfishing, and some species are nearly extinct. The sturgeon known for the best caviar (collectively called “black caviar”) are found in the Caspian and Black Seas and surrounding rivers. These include the Beluga, Osetra, Sterlet, and Sevruga. These varieties have been harvested in Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Iran, and Azerbaijan.

Beluga caviar is as large as a pea and soft with an “eye” which is the actual egg inside the sac. The rarity, large size, and buttery creaminess rank this caviar as the premium type. The fish itself is the largest (up to 3000 pounds), and it can produce up to 350 pounds of eggs.

Sterlet is one of the smallest sturgeon varieties, usually under three feet long, and it can be found the furthest inland in river tributaries. Due to overfishing, sterlet are now rare in the wild, and are primarily only found in farmed environments and in hybrid breeds of sturgeon. The Schipp is a hybrid of Sevruga and Sterlet.

The Osetra caviar is considered the second most premium of the black caviars; however, some say its subtle nuttiness and silky texture make it the superior variety. The roe are medium sized and more oily; however, of all varieties, this type has the greatest range of size, color, and flavor. This fish is smaller (about 400 pounds) and only produces about 45 pounds of eggs.

The Sevruga is the third in quality, and the eggs are smaller which makes them taste saltier (since the salt is absorbed on the surface of the egg, there is more surface area per bite), and it has a stronger flavor. This is the smallest (usually about 30 - 50 pounds, a maximum of 150 pounds) and most common sturgeon in the Caspian and Black Seas. This fish reaches sexual maturity around ten to fifteen years; however, it only lives to be about thirty.

The top caviars are rated by color with a 1-zero, 2-zero, or 3-zero rating, 3-zero being the lightest in color and considered the best rating. A general belief is that the older the caviar, the lighter and more delicate the taste. Iranian caviar sold as “Almas” (Persian for diamond) is taken from sturgeon nearing 100 years old and sells for $25,000 per kilogram (you get a 24K gold tin with it)! “Imperial Caviar” (also called Royal or Golden) was light colored caviar from albino sterlet which were reserved for the czars. Now, Imperial Caviar is usually from other types of albino sturgeon or Osetra which are at least sixty years old. In all cases, the lighter colors are the most expensive.

The final rating for fine caviar is based on how it is processed. The salty taste of caviar comes from the brine in which it is preserved. “Malossal,” which means “little salt,” is the preferred variety which may only have up to 5% salt by weight. This makes the caviar have a shorter shelf-life, so in some countries, Borax is added as a preservative (this is an illegal food additive in the U.S.) The next grade, salted, contains 8% salt. The final type is “pressed” which is usually made from broken or overly mature roe. It is highly salted and pressed to remove the excess liquid, making a thick jam-like consistency; because of its inferior quality, it’s actually the preferred type for recipes. Finally, the lowest quality is pasteurized which alters the flavor of the caviar slightly, but it has a much longer shelf-life.

Other than the premium caviar producing types of sturgeon, there are ones found elsewhere. Keluga, for instance is a sturgeon similar to Beluga which is found in the Amur River that runs east forming part of the Russia-China border. I was surprised to learn that there are a number of varieties of sturgeon in North America, and historically, America has been a major world exporter (more on that later). The Lake Sturgeon, once found in abundance in the Great Lakes and surrounding rivers, have caviar similar to Beluga in size and flavor. The Hackleback Sturgeon found in the estuaries of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers is a smaller fish and its roe is comparable to Osetra.

Other North American sturgeons are the Pallid in the Mississippi River system (endangered), the Green Sturgeon in the Pacific west and northwest, and in the same region, the White Sturgeon which is the largest freshwater fish in North America. The Atlantic Sturgeon was once abundant from the eastern coast of Canada to Florida, but its existence is threatened and even extinct in many areas today. There is also a Gulf Sturgeon which is almost indistinguishable from the Atlantic, and shares some of the southern habitat, plus areas in the eastern Gulf and its tributaries. A close cousin to the sturgeon is the Paddlefish, which is an even more ancient fish and is found in Midwestern areas of the Mississippi.

This will delight Ginger: there really are wild sturgeon not that far away; they’re spawning in the Suwannee River (which has been causing havoc for boaters in the past few years with all their jumping into the air). Historically, sturgeon have been known to inhabit the Savannah, Ogeechee, Canoochee, Altamaha, and St. Mary’s Rivers. There have even been sightings in the Chattahoochee.

The sturgeon was part of people’s diet in the ancient civilizations of the Middle East, and its eggs were believed to heal ailments and provide energy. In fact, the word caviar has Persian origins. The current Turkish word for caviar is havyar, and the Persian word was khavyar, which was a derivative of the Persian word for egg, khayah. The earliest written record of the word khavyar can be found in the 1240 writings of Butu Khan, the grandson of Ghingis Kahn. (I couldn’t find what he said about it, though).

Despite its long history, evidence seems to indicate caviar has always been considered a luxury. Food historians have looked for references in ancient classical Greek texts, and although sturgeon has many mentions as an extravagant fish (one bowl of sturgeon was the same price as an entire bull), the only finding seems to be a reference to a lost text which described caviar in Alexandria as having both a fresh and a salted version (just as today). Ancient Rome also revered the sturgeon, and as Cicero stated it was “fit for only a few choice palates.” Shakespeare was one of the first to put it into English verse when he used the appreciation for caviar as an analogy in the line, “'twas caviare to the general” in which Hamlet described a play he enjoyed which was too complex for most people’s tastes.

One of the reasons caviar probably didn’t become more popular until later was due to the amount of salt that was required in order for the delicate eggs to make the journey far from the sea. Even though Venice was importing several shiploads per year from the Mongols in the 1500’s, it wasn’t until the 1800’s that caviar became wildly popular for the elite in France. It was in the late 1800’s that demand catapulted the industry and greatly tightened supply.

In 1873 a German immigrant named Henry Schacht realized that the American waters were teeming with sturgeon and started a business exporting caviar to Europe. Others followed suit, and the United States soon became the largest exported or caviar in the world. It was so plentiful during that window of time, bars used to put it out for free the same way they do other salty snacks like peanuts. Ironically, it was estimated that 90% of the exported caviar came back to the U.S. with a label indicating it was Russian in origin. Unfortunately, the craze caused the American sturgeon populations to dwindle to near extinction by 1915, which pushed up prices and made true Russian caviar again the norm.

For a more complete and fascinating history of caviar through the ages, try reading “Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy” by Inga Saffron.

Traditionally, sturgeon were clubbed and killed to extract the ovaries; however, now there are methods in which the roe are surgically removed, the sturgeon stitched up, and allowed to live; however, there is a high mortality rate, and usually, reduced fertility. A very recently developed process used in commercial farming in clinical conditions called “stripping” is proving to be a much less invasive procedure that allows the sturgeon to live on to produce more eggs. In effect, the sturgeon are massaged to extract the eggs through a tiny incision and then allowed to swim away.

Because of the long time it takes for the fish to become fertile and the usual practice of killing the fish to extract the eggs, combined with dwindling habitats caused by dams and pollution, it’s easy to see why the sturgeon have become so endangered. In addition, after the fall of the Soviet Union, any regulation on the industry fell by the wayside, and the rampant fishing that ensued was the proverbial straw on the sturgeon’s back. Many countries set bans on importing Caspian Sea caviar. Russia in 2010 just lifted a nine-year self-imposed ban to export caviar to Europe, but it is limited to only 150 kilos, and it must be farm raised. Currently, the only wild caught sturgeon caviar legally on the market is a small amount of Osetra that is allowed from Iran where it has proven to properly monitor the industry to be self-sustaining.

Many countries, including the U.S., Italy, France, Uruguay, Germany, Bulgaria, Dubai, China, and Canada have jumped into sturgeon farming to meet demands. It’s no small investment because successful sturgeon farms are more like marine biology labs than big fish tanks. One of the biggest challenges is caused by the fact that it’s a fish which in nature, swims at the optimum time, to rivers to spawn. In a captive environment, someone must biopsy the fish, taking a sample of ova, in order to tell when the eggs are just right: not too dry and not too sticky. Some even use a microchip implanted in the fish’s head to record its lineage, weight history, and diet. Besides gathering useful operational data, this also can be used to ensure genetic diversity. As painstaking as it is, more and more companies will probably be started over the next ten years to meet demand, as legal wild supply is almost non-existent.

So, actually, since the U.S. is getting involved in caviar harvesting, there really is such a thing as “southern caviar”. Florida has a sturgeon farm called AquaFarms which raises Beluga. I’ll have to tell Mylan that I even found a true “Cajun caviar” which, while from Bowfin (in Cajun dialect, "Choupique" ), an even more ancient fish than sturgeon, is an acceptable caviar. One company has a new brand called “Ghost Pepper” which uses this Indian pepper to add just a hint of spice (and Ginger was worried about putting some lemon, cream and boiled eggs with it). . . sounds interesting!

The icing on the cake is that I learned something that, I swear, is going to have us in debt soon: my husband discovered (thanks to me) that the University of Georgia is selling caviar that is farmed under their own name, and all proceeds go to the University’s program to continue sustainable farmed sturgeon caviar. The slogan was the final selling point for Bryce: “They have Gatorade...We have caviar.” (This is directly aimed at the University of Florida who invented the sports drink).

The UGA research is using a type of Siberian sturgeon which have about a seven year maturity rate versus the twenty year wait for other species. They receive new eggs every year and have to wait until they’re around five years old in order to determine their sex through an endoscopic examination. For more information on UGA caviar, check out this article: http://d2907157.265.windnetdns.com/component/k2/item/6-georgia-caviar.

Other common types of roe include salmon (the best is small and light orange), lumpfish (as I used in my mousse), American whitefish (found in the Great Lakes, it has a beautiful, bright golden color), rainbow trout (similar to salmon, but smaller), and carp (often smoked and called tarama).

I’ll have to tell Mylan that I found out why lumpfish roe is dyed. It seems that the color from one fish (and they are some ugly fish!) is a veritable rainbow. I think that sounds like a beautiful presentation, but apparently, most people expect their can of caviar to be just one color, so it’s the standard to either dye it red or black.

There are dozens of traditional foods with roe found worldwide. Huevera Frita is a Peruvian favorite which is fried roe, usually served with a side of onion salad. Spain traditionally has many uses for it, sautéed, fried, pickled, and as a condiment in salads. In India, it can be found fried in coconut oil or coated with chili paste. Japan, as Ginger so fondly knows, often uses roe in sushi preparations. I found a few other traditional dishes with roe that I thought were worth including.

Tarama (which as mentioned above, is usually from carp and is smoked), is used in a traditional Greek dish called taramosalata. To make this you mix stale bread crumbs, tarama, minced onion, olive oil, and lemon juice into a paste. This is served as a dip or spread.

Another interesting preparation is called bottarga, and this is popular in Italy and other Mediterranean regions, sprinkled over pasta or seafood. The preparation is a little lengthy, but easy enough to try yourself if you’re so inclined. This uses the whole roe pouch, so if you ever catch a salt water fish with some ripe eggs, give it a try! First you soak the roe in salt water overnight. Next, pat dry with paper towels on a board and then roll in olive oil. Then roll in a copious amount of salt to coat. Lay separated on layers of paper towel to collect moisture and replace as they saturate. Re-salt as necessary to keep a layer of salt on them at all times. By about a week, the roe should be thoroughly dry, and you can move it to an airtight container. When wanting to sprinkle on food, take a piece of it and grind it freshly over your food.

I hope you enjoyed my expose on caviar and all things fish eggy! It certainly was a learning process for me. I’ve included my mousse recipe below. Happy New Year!

But before I close, I’d like to include the lyrics of a few verses of an old (slightly dirty, probably sailor) song that speaks of sturgeon and caviar. (Did I mention that the eggs have to be unfertilized?)

-author unknown

Caviar comes from virgin sturgeon

Virgin sturgeon's a mighty fine fish

Virgin sturgeon needs no urgin'

That's why caviar is my dish!

I fed caviar to Louisa

She’s my honey tried and true

Now Louisa needs no urgin'

I recommend caviar to you!

I fed caviar to my rooster

I fed caviar to my cow,

Now the barnyard sure looks funny:

All the cows have feathers now!

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16 oz. sour cream

Zest of one lemon

1 tsp lemon juice

Bunch of scallions

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 packet Knox unflavored gelatin

¼ cup water

1 cup heavy cream

2 eggs, boiled and cooled

2 TBS capers

3-4 oz black lumpfish caviar

Rye or pumpernickel toast squares

Pour cream into a metal mixing bowl and beaters and place in freezer while you do the next few steps. In a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, pour Knox gelatin and sprinkle ¼ cup water over it, moistening all. Set aside to let absorb. Cut about an inch from the scallion tops and discard. Finely slice about 3 inches of the green part of the scallions. Mix sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, Worcestershire, chopped scallion tops, and salt in a bowl. Stir until well blended. Put gelatin in microwave oven for about 40 seconds, until melted. Cool slightly, then pour into sour cream mixture and mix well. Take cream out of freezer and beat with electric mixer until stiff. Fold whipped cream into sour cream mix. Spread mixture into a tart pan or some kind of decorative mold and refrigerate at least 3 hours (can speed this up by placing in freezer for 30 minutes).

Cut boiled eggs in half and separate the yolks from the whites. Using a fine cheese grater, shred each part of the eggs into different bowls. Finely slice the white parts of the scallions. Dump the mold onto a serving plate, and decorate with stripes of white, yolk, scallions, capers, and caviar. Serve with toast squares.

Note: the dye in the lumpfish roe will bleed onto the mousse after some time. If you place it on some paper towels and dry it as much as possible first, you’ll have less trouble with it.