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 BLINI
(BLINTZ OR CREPES) WITH RED CAVIAR
AND SOUR CREAM
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup milk (whole, low-fat or non-fat)
Butter or margarine to grease the pan
Beat eggs well and combine with salt and flour. Mix to a creamy consistency.
Add milk gradually and mix until smooth. If lumps remain, strain after mixing.
Set mixture aside or refrigerate. (May be prepared one-two days in advance
and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use. Return mixture to room
temperature and mix well before making blini.)
To prepare the blini, grease a 6-inch skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high
heat. Pour about 3 T. of batter into a ladle or pitcher and quickly pour
contents into the skillet. Quickly tilt and rotate the skillet so the batter
is lightly and evenly spread over the bottom of the pan. Heat until the
edges start browning and come away from the pan easily and the top is set
and dry. Turn the blini onto a towel, uncooked side down. Repeat process
to cook more blini, lightly re-greasing the skillet every two - three blini.
Add milk if the mixture seems too thick.
To serve, arrange warm blini on a tray lined with a starched linen napkin.
Put a small dollop of sour cream in the center of each, then place a few
grains of caviar atop the sour cream.
CAVIAR MOONS
10 slices firm white sandwich bread, sliced very thin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2-cup sour cream
100 g (3 1/2 oz) caviar
Special equipment: a 2-inch crescent-moon cookie cutter
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush bread with melted butter and use cookie cutter
to cut about 40 moons out of bread slices. Arrange, buttered sides up, on
a large baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about
10 minutes. Cool completely.
Serve toasts topped with sour cream and caviar.
Cooks' note: Toasts may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container
at room temperature.
 CAVIAR
PIE
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
10 hard-boiled eggs, shells removed
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 8-ounce "brick" Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese), room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
8 ounces caviar (preferably 2 or more colors)
Lemon slices
Chopped parsley
Assorted crackers or toasted baguette slices
Spray a 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom or a 9-inch-diameter
spring form pan with vegetable oil spray. Combine onion and sugar in medium
bowl. Place 10 whites and 6 yolks in processor (reserve remaining yolks
for later use). Chop coarsely. Add mayonnaise and relish and process just
until combined (do not over-mix to paste). Add to bowl with onion and blend
well. Spread over bottom of prepared pan.
Refrigerate 15 minutes.
Combine Neufchвtel cheese and milk in food processor. Blend well. Drop cheese
mixture by teaspoonfuls over chilled egg layer and spread gently to cover.
Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be prepared, up to this point,
one day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
Spoon caviar decoratively atop cheese layer. You may use a round cookie
cutter or poaching ring to create uniform patterns. Set cookie cutter gently
on cheese layer, then spread black caviar around outside of cookie cutter
and red caviar inside cookie cutter. Carefully remove the cookie cutter
so black and red caviar remain in place. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Press bottom of tart pan up or remove sides of spring form pan, releasing
pie. Place pie on platter; surround with crackers or toasted baguette slices.
 DEVILED
EGGS WITH CAVIAR
12 large eggs, at least a week old
1 tablespoon salt, plus 1-1/4 teaspoons salt (about 1-1/2 tablespoons total)
3 medium shallots, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
3 tablespoons red caviar, well-chilled
The night before the eggs are to be cooked, seal the carton with a piece
of tape and turn carton on its side to center the yolks.
When ready to cook, gently place the eggs in a medium saucepan. Add water
to cover by 1-1/2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Partially cover the pot
and bring to a full rolling boil. Turn heat down to low and leave pot on
the heat, covered, for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and let eggs stand,
covered, in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out hot water and rinse eggs
under cold running water for 5 minutes. Pour out water and shake the pan
to bump eggs against each other until all eggs are well cracked. Cover with
cold water.
Peel the eggs under running water, rinse eggs, and cut in half lengthwise.
Transfer the yolks to a bowl. Cover and chill yolks and whites separately
for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, saute the shallots in butter in a medium skillet over medium-high
heat until soft, about 2 minutes. Set aside. Mash the yolks with a fork.
Add the sour cream and mash with yolks. Add the mayonnaise, 1-1/4 teaspoons
salt, and cayenne. Whisk until well blended. Whisk in shallots.
Fill the cooked and chilled egg white halves with yolk mixture. Generously
sprinkle each stuffed egg with chives, leaving a little yellow showing around
the edges. Sprinkle each half with lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate. When
ready to serve, spoon a bit of cold caviar onto each half. Serve well chilled.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
 CAVIAR
SPREAD
2 ounces red or black caviar
3 scallions, chopped fine
2 bunches parsley, chopped fine
1/2 lemon
1 pint small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
3 hard-boiled eggs
Crackers
Chop egg whites and yolks separately. Mix sour cream, egg whites and cottage
cheese together. In medium bowl sprinkle some of the parsley, then layer
1/2 of cottage cheese mix, scallions, and top with remainder of cottage
cheese mixture. In the center, place egg yolk, and surround yolk with a
circle of caviar. Ring bowl with remaining parsley. Squeeze lemon juice
over top. Serve with crackers.
Yield: 8 servings.
CAVIAR KISSES
1 small cucumber, scrubbed and-trimmed
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. dried dill weed
freshly ground black pepper-to taste
1 jar red salmon caviar
fresh dill sprigs
8 thin slices whole wheat bread
butter or margarine
Slice cucumber into 1/4-inch rounds. In a small bowl, combine sour cream,
dried dill and pepper.
Place one teaspoon of the sour cream mixture on each cucumber slice.
Garnish each with about 1/2 teaspoon caviar and a dill sprig.
Cut bread slices with heart-shaped cookie cutter.
Butter and toast heart-shaped bread.
Place cucumber slices in center of serving plate and surround with toast
hearts.
 POTATO
CRISPS WITH CAVIAR AND SOUR CREAM
3 baking potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup chives, chopped
salt
pepper, fresh ground
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
vegetable oil for frying
Garnish
1/2 cup sour cream
2 oz salmon caviar
1/4 cup chives, chopped
Grate potatoes with grater or food processor.
Add chives, parsley, salt and pepper.
Do not soak potatoes or starch will be lost.
In a large skillet, heat a film of oil on high heat.
For each crisp, drop about 1 tablespoon of the potato mixture into oil and
flatten.
Fry on one side until crisp, about 2 minutes.
Turn and fry on second side.
Drain on paper towel.
Repeat using remaining all mixture.
At serving time, either reheat cakes in 375F (190C) oven for 5 minutes or
serve at room temperature.
Garnish with sour cream, caviar and a sprinkling of chives.
Top these crisp potato pancakes with sour cream and caviar, or try these
alternatives: sour cream and apple sauce, sour cream and smoked salmon,
olive paste, or a dab of anchovy paste.
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