Caviar Pie 101…

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Caviar Pie is often mentioned as a luxurious nibble for some of Manila’s home “cocktail” crowd. It’s actually very 90’s I think, when it first gained popularity… I had never made one at home. But for last Valentine’s, I thought I would give it a go, part of a simple but luxurious dinner for two at home. Connoisseurs of good caviar would probably cringe at this quasi-pie-like concoction, but as long as you have no allusions of grandeur, you can have this satisfying and far more economical treat without any guilt whatsoever. If you can’t stand the thought, head to this post on the finest beluga caviar I have had the opportunity to savor, while on a trip to Istanbul.

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Start with a ring mold, in this case I think 3 inches in diameter. Line it with parchment paper, taped to make a circle, and this is all to make the removal of the mold/paper easier and less damaging to the “pie”…

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Chop up some perfectly boiled eggs (no green tinge on the yolk), mix with some good (preferable homemade) mayonnaise and a touch of lemon juice (DO NOT OVERDO Mayo and lemon juice as the eggs will get too moist as you see here).

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Put a half to three-fourths inch layer of egg salad at the bottom of the ring mold and let this set up in the fridge for say an hour or so until a bit more firm. Next, finely slice some local shallots, soak them in ice water for say 15 minutes to temper their raw bite, drain and pat dry with towels and sprinkle a small layer over the egg mixture and let this rest in the fridge while you make the next layer of ingredients.

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Take some good cream cheese, cut it with some sour cream or creme fraiche and sprinkle with chives or finely minced green onions and mix well.

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Carefully drop spoons full of the cream cheese mixture onto the onions/egg mixture and GENTLY spread it around until you have an even layer (and probably the same thickness as the egg layer). Let this set in the fridge for a couple of hours.

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Just before serving, heap generous amounts of bottled or tinned lumpfish roe (the black seems to work better than the red) and spread it out evenly. They sell lumpfish caviar at S&R for just PHP350 a bottle or so, and I used roughly 1/3 of a bottle for this little pie…

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Remove the ring mold, carefully remove the parchment paper, and retouch any imperfections on the sides of the “pie” if they bother you.

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Garnish with thin slices of lemon, more chopped chives, etc. and serve with toast points or other suitable biscuits or crackers. Very easy to make. Sounds and looks elegant, but doesn’t or shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket. This 3 inch mini-pie was meant for one person, but honestly, it easily fed three people. Totally doable at home, and I would definitely do this again.

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20 Responses

  1. I was thinking outrageously expensive..till I was done reading,will try this one.love how elegant it look,wont break the bank to replicate..Thanks.oh those artisan bread look so good..bet they taste great,may I ask where did you bought them..to send my niece who is an artisan bread crazy to get em.Off topic my hubby & I going back home to Seatlle via Incheon Airport last night ..Anthony Bourdain was on the coffee shop, Was Infront of him,..Was a huge fan,try not bother him..he had a smile..He was a very respectful & total nice guy..Quite unexpected ,had a quite a few pic. with him..had an awesome layover :) now MM will spend more time on your blog now in back home here..

  2. YEs, you’re right, MM…very ’90’s! Still a party favorite, though. I usually make a large one in a springform pan to put out on a buffet table.

  3. MM, aside from the egg salad under the cream cheese, what other alternatives can I make? I’m not really fond of eggs.

  4. Apart from lumpfish roe, chopped lobster, crayfish, prawns, smoked salmon/gravlax with roughly ground black pepper would make a scrumptious top layer, I reckon.

    CCA19: I know I wasn’t asked but if you don’t mind a suggestion, steamed cubed potatoes would be a nice replacement. You can flavour it with a hint of finely chopped rendered bacon.

  5. Khew, good one. CCA19, the concept of the pie, is premised on the classic accompaniments of good quality caviar. The classic condiments or pairings with caviar are minced onions, minced egg, lemon, chives, cream cheese?, etc. But baked potatoes with sour cream chives and caviar does well too, so maybe some creamy potatoes would work as a nice substitute. Khew, yes, smoked salmon and other flavorful and salty/briney ingredients would do nicely…

  6. MM, you might want to consider a Lechon ‘pie’. Below: potatoes, mayo, crackling. Centre: cream cheese, peas. Top: shredded pork, gelatine.

    Alternative – Below: haricot vert, mayo, crackling. Centre: brown roux, caramelised onions, raisins, cranberries. Top: shredded pork, gelatine.

  7. I’ve been waiting for this! Thank you MM! I will definitely try this! I might also try Khew’s suggestion too! :)

  8. Uyyy i like the suggestions of khew! I’m not a fan of caviar, hubby says i can’t hobnob with the rich and famous but I like the idea of fancy combination + food layering so i could probably try the smoked salmon. Thanks MM and Khew.

  9. Loving every kind of fish roe – although have not eaten the top end of luxe caviar, the love of bihod, bottarga, from childhood days endures

  10. I absolutely love this recipe, however I have someone who doesn’t like eggs. Ever since I saw the original post on this I have been wondering if this can be made with a sticky rice base, either a purple, red, or black rice, or even a combo. So I hope you don’t mind me asking this question. If you were going to make a pie using rice as a base, how would you do it?

  11. Klaus, personally, I wouldn’t be keen on a rice base, though that approaches say a “sushi” type concoction. The combination of cream cheese and rice just doesn’t appeal to me. Perhaps the potato base might work as suggested by Khew, above.

  12. I’d like to see Khew’s “lechon pie” suggestion brought to life! :)

    Haven’t tasted caviar yet. My mom has, though, when she was in Europe, and she swore by its decadence. But it’s an acquired taste daw talaga.

  13. I’m going to get slammed for saying this but caviar is over rated. Because it’s so salty, I’ve used it as a flavouring for:
    – smoked salmon + olive oil
    – russian salad ‘pie’
    – lobster + olive oil

    Sturgeon is quite in vogue in high end Chinese restaurants. The firm flesh sliced and stirfried or as sashimi. The fatty belly (8 times the Omega 3 of salmon apparently) steamed. The cartillage (they have no bones it seems) salt & peppered, fried and then stirfried.

  14. Khew, I have to agree with you that most caviar is over rated… but really good caviar is an absolute pleasure for my palate. :)

  15. Hi MM! what and where do you get good mayo? I’m not particularly fond of the local ones as they are sweetish and have a really weird aftertaste. The japanese ones are good but have a very distinct taste, which I fear would overpower or even clash with the caviar. is there a specific local brand you use?

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