Gift Guide 2017: For Caviar Lovers

Salmon roe is the perfect poor man's caviar: it gives you all the salty satisfaction, along with the pop and that gorgeous color - and it doesn't cost a fortune.  Happily this is the season. There are many sources, but my favorite is the salmon roe they sell at Zabars, which has a fantastically clean quality. Anyone who brought some would be very welcome at my house. I like salmon roe by the spoonful - alone or with a splash of lemon and a dollop of sour cream. It's great on deviled eggs. It makes crackers sing.  But my favorite vehicle for red caviar are blini.

Here' a recipe you can tuck into the package.

Buckwheat Blini

1 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup buckwheat flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon yeast

2 eggs

Melt the butter with the milk and cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile whisk together the flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, salt and yeast.

Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture, cover with plastic wrap or a plate, and set aside to rise for 1½ hours in a warm place. The mixture should foam and double in size.

Whisk in two eggs, blending well. Butter a hot griddle or skillet, and use a heaping teaspoon of batter to make dollar size blini. Cook about one minute per side. 

Slather with butter or topping of your choice. 

Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for a day or so, stirring well before using.