Salmon Caviar

What is caviar?

Fish eggs! salted or “cured” fish eggs also known as roe.

What does it taste like?

Fishy, semi-salty with a light hint of sweet liquid oozes into your mouth as the delicate eggs pop.

What are the health benefits of caviar?

After some research, I’ve found that caviar is actually filled with lots of health benefits. It is a source of vitamins and minerals such as omega 3, which helps to promote a healthy nervous, circulatory and immune system. Some other nutrients included are vitamins A, E, B6, Iron, Magnesium and Selenium. One serving of caviar has an adult’s daily requirement of Vitamin B12.

How do you serve caviar?

Caviar is usually presented as a garnish or a spread.  In a Russian/Ukrainian community caviar is most often served on a  baguette slice, a lightly buttered toast, or unsalted crackers. Serving caviar in any way is very appealing to the eye on a feast table.

Table salt vs Pickling Salt?

I experimented curing caviar with table salt and pickling salt to see if there was any difference, taste wise i did not see a difference however, the texture looked better with pickling salt. The eggs with table salt seemed a little more deflated while the ones with pickling salt held a nice shape. Meanwhile either salt will work. (All opinions are my own)

Hot tap water vs Boiling water?

I tried soaking the eggs in both hot tap water and boiling water. Using boiling water, the membrane curls up instantly causing most of the eggs to detach on their own from the membrane, while using tap water you may need to work more with your hands to separate the eggs. Also, using boiling water, more eggs will turn a pale color when washed however they will all go back to bright orange once cured. Taste and texture wise, there was no difference. 

Ingredients:

1cup fresh Caviar (fish eggs)

2Tbsp Pickling Salt

1Tbsp White Sugar

Instructions:

1. Put the caviar in a bowl, pour over very hot water and let it stand for about 5 minutes, then gently separate the eggs from the membrane. (If it is still hard to separate, add hotter water and let it stand a few more minutes)
2. Rinse the eggs very well so that no pieces of membrane is left behind.
3. Add 2tbsp of pickling salt and 1tbsp of sugar to the caviar, gently mix together and let it stand for 8-10min. (Do not exceed 15min!!)
4. Rinse well under cold water, drain and transfer to a paper towel to take away access water/moisture.
5. It may be served right away. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze in a glass jar or airtight container.

 

, If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment tag @alenashomecooking on instagram and hashtag it #alenashomecooking or by clicking the social icons on top of this page.