How Much Caviar is Too Much Caviar...?
We might be a bit biased, but we'll keep it humble. Caviar is a very popular indulgence to serve for special Holiday gatherings, and often times the question of how much caviar is adequate for a party depends on various factors. The number of guests, their propensity of adventurous food, as well as the intent of the caviar is the main dish or part of a larger meal are all factors.
Although our suggestion is to prioritize "quality over quantity", you don't want to under serve guests either... as good caviar keeps guests coming back for more. So here are some general guidelines:
-
As an Appetizer:
Serving caviar as an appetizer, or as a flavor enhancer to an entrée is a fantastic way to provide you or your guest with an added decadence.- For an appetizer or as a topping for dishes like blinis, latkas or canapés, plan on serving about 1 to 1.5 ounces (28 to 42 grams) per person.
- As the caviar is being supplanted with other elements like wheat, flour and creme fraische, multiple tastes compete for the delicate caviar taste. Accordingly, we suggest a more robust caviar like an Iranian or Russian Sevruga, or American Siberian.
-
Caviar Tasting:
Another wonderful Holiday treat is to host a caviar tasting as part of your gathering.- Variety is a spice of life, and affording guests to sample different types of caviar is a very special treat. We suggest 3-5 different types of caviar at 1/2 to 1 ounce per person.
- As the caviar is served 'naked', the delicate taste of the caviar is appreciated without interruption from other elements. Here we suggest at least sampling 3 different varieties, to educate the pallet and recognize the intricate differences... An Ossetra, Beluga and California White Sturgeon is a great eye opener.
-
Main Course:- If caviar is the main course, you'll need an ample and diverse amount to appease the most fickle guest. Consider serving around 2 to 3 ounces per person. Add simple pallet cleansers like fresh baguette with butter and vodka to neutralize guests pallets in between sampling. Again, you want to educate your guests on the differences between various sturgeon roe, and nothing goes further than to taste the caviar 'naked' at body temperature from the top of your wrist (distastefully referred to a bump).
-
Provide appropriate accompaniments like blinis, baguette points, crème fraîche, toasted bread with hints of quality butter. These can enhance the caviar experience, as well as provide palette cleansers between caviar variants.
Accompaniment
Remember that these are general guidelines, the point is to enjoy the experience and don't take it too seriously... Caviar is meant to be indulged, and what's the fun in indulging if you have to abide by rules.