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CaViar,
friend or faux
Throughout history, people have tried to turn lead into gold, either in
actuality or metaphorically. When we think of Welsh Rabbit (melted
cheese), Bombay Duck (dried fish), or Scotch Woodcock (chopped
hard-boiled eggs and cream on toast) , it’s usually a rare or expensive
ingredient replaced ingeniously by something more plebian. Sometimes
this is done with larcenous intent—but that’s outside the scope of
this article, somewhat depressing, and hardly in the spirit of the
holiday season.
Instead, we’re going to look at some whimsical substitutions for one
of the rarest and most expensive of comestibles: caviar.
Real caviar is the roe of various fishes, the most precious of which is
Beluga—the lightly salted eggs of mature sturgeon from the Caspian
Sea. As only 100 of these antediluvian creatures are harvested each year,
the price is understandably high. While most of us won’t be bellying up
to big bowls of Beluga as part of this New Year’s Eve’s festivities, there
are a number of alternative caviars to tempt us.
“Kaviar” is a Russian surrogate made from soybeans, while a Japanese
manufacturer (Hokuyu Company) makes “Cavianne.” The most
convincing of these fakes is made in Canada: Kelp Caviar comes in
several flavors (truffle, salmon, chile and wasabi). The tiny “eggs”
are made from agar-agar-rich powdered kelp that has been flavored,
cooked and stabilized as a thick gelatinous liquid. The liquid then drips
into a solution of calcium chloride that causes it to form smooth firm
“pearls”—a process that molecular gastronomers call “spherification.”
Our own recipes are somewhat less high-tech, and don’t require any odd
chemicals or weird-science lab equipment.
a j va r
in tur k i s h , h av ya r is “sa lt e d r o e ,” a n a m e c l e a r ly r e l at e d t o
“c av i a r.” hav ya r is a l s o c o n n e c t e d , e t y m o l o g i c a l ly, t o aj va r —a
b e a u t i f u l ly -c o l o r e d , a n d f r a g r a n t, pa s t e m a d e o f r o a s t e d r e d
p e p p e r s a n d g a r l i c.
s e rv e s 6 t o 8 a s a n a p p e t i z e r
i n g r e d i e n t s
6 l b s. r e d b e l l p e p p e r s
1 l a r g e e g g p l a n t
1/2 h e a d g a r l i c, p e e l e d a n d c h o p p e d
o l i v e o i l
v i n e g a r, t o ta s t e
s a lt a n d p e p p e r, t o ta s t e
h o t pa p r i k a o r c ay e n n e , t o ta s t e
m e t h o d
Roast each pepper, under broiler or over a flame, until skin is
blackened. Place peppers in a bag or covered bowl to steam for a few
minutes, then rub off blackened skin. Split eggplant lengthwise, score
the cut surfaces lightly, then rub the cut surface with olive oil and a
sprinkling of salt.
Roast eggplant in a hot oven for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Scoop
the cooked eggplant from the skin, which can then be discarded.
Combine eggplant, garlic, and two tablespoons olive oil in a food
processor. Pulse to chop only—the mixture should not be completely
smooth. Set it aside in a large bowl.
Remove stems and seeds from peppers, then pulse in a food processor
until they are coarsely chopped. Combine eggplant and peppers, and
adjust flavor with salt, pepper, vinegar, and hot paprika (or cayenne),
to taste. Serve with toasted slices of baguette or pita.
roll dining in
w/gary allen, food maven
historian & author
45 | rollmagazine.com
a l m o s t c h i n e s e b e l u g a
th i s c o u n t e r f e i t c av i a r l o o k s a l o t m o r e l i k e t h e r e a l t h i n g , a n d
e v e n b e a r s a s l i g h t (a n d t o ta l ly u n e x p e c t e d ) r e s e m b l a n c e t o t h e
b r i n y s e a-ta s t e o f c av i a r—b u t w i t h a n as i a n t w i s t.
s e rv e s 6 t o 8 a s a n a p p e t i z e r
i n g r e d i e n t s
½ c u p u n c o o k e d ta p i o c a p e a r l s (n o t i n s ta n t )
1/4 c u p d a r k s o y s a u c e
1 t b s p. c h i n e s e b l a c k v i n e g a r
1 t b s p. s u g a r
1 t s p. d a r k sesame o i l
1 s c a l l i o n, s l i c e d t h i n ly o n a d i a g o n a l , f o r g a r n i s h
m e t h o d
Cook the tapioca pearls in two quarts of boiling water until translucent,
with just a tiny opaque spot in the middle. Drain and drop into cold
water to stop cooking. Prepare marinade by combining remaining
ingredients.
Mix tapioca with marinade in covered container, and set aside in
refrigerator for at least four hours, mixing gently from time to time.
Serve in Chinese soupspoons, garnished with a few tiny pieces of
scallion.
t e x a s c av i a r
th i s o f f e r i n g l o o k s n o t h i n g l i k e c av i a r, a n d h a s f l av o r s o n e w o u l d
n e v e r e n c o u n t e r a r o u n d t h e ca s p i a n se a, b u t it is c a l l e d “c av i a r”
b y t h e f o l k s w h o m a k e it in t h e i r h o m e k i t c h e n s . th e y ’v e b e e n m a k i n g
it, in va r i o u s f o r m s , so o f t e n t h a t it’s b e c o m e a p a r t y s ta n d a r d . ho w
it g o t i t s n a m e is a l i t t l e m y s t e r i o u s , b u t t h e n a t i v e s o f t h e r e g i o n
d o h av e s o m e t h i n g o f a r e p u tat i o n f o r ta l l ta l e s , e x a g g e r at i o n, o r
d o w n r i g h t m e n d a c i t y (a t l e a s t w h e n d e a l i n g w i t h t h o s e o f u s w h o
c o m e f r o m p l a c e s n o rt h o f t h e re d ri v e r).
s e rv e s 4-6 a s a n a p p e t i z e r
i n g r e d i e n t s
½ l b. d r i e d b l a c k-e y e d p e a s, c o o k e d , c o o l e d a n d d r a i n e d
2 m e d i u m t o m at o e s , s e e d e d a n d d i c e d
2 j a l a p e ñ o o r s e r r a n o c h i l e s , s e e d e d a n d m i n c e d
1 s m a l l o n i o n , d i c e d
1/2 r e d b e l l p e p p e r, s e e d e d a n d d i c e d
1/4 c u p c i l a n t r o, c h o p p e d
6 t b s p. w i n e v i n e g a r
6 t b s p. o l i v e o i l
1 c l o v e g a r l i c, m i n c e d
1 t s p. o r e g a n o
1/2 t b s p. c u m i n, t o a s t e d a n d g r o u n d
ta b a s c o, o p t i o n a l , t o ta s t e
s a lt & b l a c k p e p p e r, t o ta s t e
m e t h o d
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Cover and place
in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Adjust seasonings to taste, with
additional vinegar, Tabasco, salt and pepper, as needed. Serve with
tortilla chips.
You can find more of Gary Allen’s speculations about things he has been known
to (but really shouldn’t) stick in his mouth—his own foot being a prime example
of the latter—at his website www.onthetable.us.