Caviar and Blini Board: How to Serve Caviar
Want to learn how to serve caviar? Elegant Caviar and Blini Boards are the simplest way to serve caviar, perfect for elevating your next gathering! Get tips for where to buy, eat, and serve caviar, made easy with store-bought items!
Elegant Caviar and Blini Boards are the simplest way to elevate your next gathering! Get tips on where to buy, eat, and how to serve caviar!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Safeway. All opinions are 100% mine.
I turned the corner, lifting the edge of my gown as I stepped past a table, when someone offered me a blini. The little pancake was perfectly toasty in my hand, with glistening spheres of caviar shining like jewels. I glanced up to see who had served me such decadence, and it was none other than Chef Gary Danko. He smiled at me, encouraging me to give it a taste.
The caviar and blini was so simple, and I wondered how it could possibly compare to all of the wonderful bites I already had that evening. We were at the James Beard Awards, where the champagne was flowing, and the top chefs in the country had gathered in one spot. The food that was being served that evening showcased so much culinary talent. As I stood amid culinary greatness in Lincoln Center, I popped the blini into my mouth.
What an explosion of flavor! There was the delicate saltiness of the caviar, the creaminess of the crème fraîche, and the perfectly airy blini; together it changed the way I thought of caviar forever. It became my benchmark of the perfect caviar and blini.
Nowadays I’ll always think of caviar as the the ultimate way to celebrate a special occasion. But the thing is, we can make special occasions out of every day moments with a dollop of caviar. And one of the best ways we can enjoy caviar is by making a caviar and blini board.
Where to Buy Caviar
Ever since my neighborhood Safeway was upgraded with premium shopping experiences, I have loved exploring all the new and exciting offerings! When I roamed the store during the re-grand opening celebration, I was thrilled to see that they offer caviar at the deli counter, along with all the prepared foods that are celebration-ready! It is conveniently located close to the cheese counter and wine department, making everything I need for elevated entertaining conveniently at my fingertips.
I couldn’t wait to make a caviar and blini board from their ample selection of sustainable caviar produced by California-based Tsar Nicoulai Caviar and ingredients from Signature Select and O Organics!
While the caviar may be the star of a caviar and blini board, the supporting ingredients help the caviar shine. If you feel like making homemade blinis, that is wonderful, but you can find store-bought blinis and everything you need for the board at Safeway.
Be sure to pick up smoked salmon, eggs, fresh herbs, sour cream, and capers!
How to Serve Caviar
Caviar and Blini Board
What I love most about a caviar and blini board is that it is simple, elegant, and surprisingly versatile. With excellent ingredients, you don’t need much to allow the caviar to shine. Guests can customize their blinis with various toppings, and you, as the host, can sit back and enjoy their company.
It’s a delicious appetizer to serve with a glass of bubbly but equally wonderful to add a touch of decadence to a morning brunch!
Caviar
What is caviar? Caviar, simply defined, is salt-cured fish roe, and a delicacy enjoyed as a garnish to dishes, spread on appetizers, or even by the spoonful. Traditionally, the term caviar is used to refer to the roe from wild sturgeon from the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. However, nowadays, caviar is produced all over the world, including the United States. I recall tasting catfish “caviar” on a media trip in Louisiana!
For this board, I used sustainable, American caviar from California-based Tsar Nicoulai Caviar. My local Safeway carries several varieties of their caviar, including Smoked Gold Pearl Salmon and Truffled Whitefish. I opted for their Estate Caviar from farmed California white sturgeon. However, feel free to select which caviar you prefer!
Blini, Toast or Crackers
Blini are bite-sized Russian pancakes, traditionally made with buckwheat flour. They are simple enough to make at home, but also very easy to find in the grocery store. If you can’t find blini, you can also serve it with small toasts or crackers.
Crème Fraîche or Sour Cream
A dollop of smooth, tangy crème fraîche or sour cream is all you need to pair with the caviar and blini!
Toppings
Offer a variety of toppings to your caviar and blini board. Chopped chives, dill, capers, and thinly sliced red onions are popular options.
Caviar Tips/FAQs
If the board will be at room temperature for a long time, it is important to keep the caviar chilled. Nestle the caviar container in a bowl of crushed ice. There are caviar chiller sets (affiliate link) that present the caviar elegantly, but this isn’t necessary. Simply use two nesting bowls with some ice, which will do the trick.
It is recommended that caviar be served in bowls and with utensils that are non-reactive. Mother of pearl spoons and bowls are often used, so it does not impart any flavor on the precious caviar. Other materials that work well for caviar utensils include shell, bone, porcelain, glass, and plastic.
Stay away from silver; the salt content in the caviar can react with sterling silver and impart a metallic taste.
How to Eat Caviar
To eat caviar, simply spread a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream on a blini or toast. Top with a ribbon of smoked salmon and spoonful of caviar, garnish with chives, capers, red onion, and a sprig of dill.
Caviar is also delicious on hardboiled eggs or shirred eggs, adding its salty umami to every bite!
More Board Recipes
How to Make a Charcuterie Board
How to Make a Simple Dessert Charcuterie Board
Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Safeway. Thank you for supporting brands that matter to me; sponsored posts such as this help behind the scenes at Kitchen Confidante. All opinions in this post are, as always, my own.
Caviar and Blini Board
Ingredients
- 1 oz caviar
- 16 pieces blini
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
- 4 oz smoked salmon
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 4 hard-boiled eggs halved
- 1/4 cup dill fronds
Instructions
- Begin building your board by anchoring it with your caviar and small bowls filled with creme fraiche/sour cream, chives, and capers.
- Arrange the blini on the board, followed by the smoked salmon, red onions, and hard-boiled eggs.
- Garnish with sprigs of dill.
Comments
COOKBOOK
making this next Saturday, Have almost everything; plan to add parmesan crisps, Also side dish of berries, grapes and nuts. Thanks for a great serving idea; much better than assembling lots of individual bites, which might get soggy if not eaten quickly. I am rating your idea, since I have yet to taste.
have most
I hope your caviar and blini board turned out great, Sharon!
So looking forward to doing this when I move into my new apartment soon! How elegant and still somewhat casual, not bougie at all. I may put some water crackers with it too.
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate your new apartment! I hope you enjoy the caviar board in your new place!
very elevated, and a great idea for next gathering with some panache! Wow, now to get the caviar, love the rest of these ingredients too, thank you!