Caviar - Hardcover

Rebeiz-Nielsen, Natalie; Boeckmann, Susie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1840001771 ISBN 13: 9781840001778

Publisher: Mitchell Beazley, 1999

Synopsis

This guide covers every aspect of this desirable and sought-after delicacy, including its history and the many different varieties available. It contains over 40 caviar recipes and features other delicacies such as smoked salmon, scallops and seabass.

About this title

Review

You'd have to be very fortunate (read "rich") to be able to cook and eat your way through Caviar. These most exalted of fish eggs are perhaps only exceeded in price by truffles as a foodstuff. Aside from its sheer deliciousness, much of the aristocratic cachet of caviar seems to reside in the fact that it is really a by-product, the rest of the huge fish being thrown away (yes, some sturgeon is eaten, but still). This effect on the price is obvious; though there are reports of experiments in the USA whereby the eggs are removed from the fish by Caesarean section, one unfortunate female being subjected to this no fewer than seven times. But the fisheries are becoming exhausted, so this may soon be the only way to eat caviar with a clear conscience.

Susie Boeckmann and Natalie Rebeiz-Nielsen are well-known names in caviar circles, their credentials second to none. Subtitled A Comprehensive Guide, their book begins with an exploration of the history of caviar and the various sturgeon fisheries around the world. Its compelling size--the largest species, the Beluga, can grow to 20 feet over a lifetime of perhaps 170 years--and hieratic appearance make the sturgeon an apt fish for ceremony: it has often been claimed as a royal prerogative. Ceremony, too, surrounds the preparation and tasting of caviar, fascinatingly described here. (The correct way to taste it is to eat a little from the back of your hand, between thumb and forefinger.) They conclude with a very generous selection of recipes ranging from canapés to full-blown entrees, all designed to showcase the qualities of the black gold. In most of these the caviar plays the role of garnish--the "Watercress Cappuccino with Caviar" is a particularly exquisite example. A number of recipes, though, use it freely and lavishly, including one that sums up the essence of the book, and of this amazing food, the creamy "Spaghettini with Caviar and Champagne Sauce", which the authors rightly describe as "stunning" in its combination of simplicity and utter luxury. --Robin Davidson

About the Author

An established authority on caviar, SUSIE BOECKMANN has worked in the industry for more than a decade, although her passion for and fascination with caviar started in the late 1960s when living in Madrid. Here she used to buy a kilo for next to nothing to share with her flatmates. Several years later, honeymooning in Iran, she ate caviar every day. Susie divides her time between London and France with her husband and two children. NATALIE REBEIZ--NIELSEN was born in Denmark and lives in London. As an acknowledged caviar expert and Director of the internationally renowned Caviar House, Natalie has been responsible for setting up an extensive range of gourmet shops and seafood bars, including the flagship Caviar House restaurant and shop in Piccadilly, London. Natalie has also contributed her specialist knowledge on caviar in many newspaper and magazine articles.

Edition details

• Publisher: Mitchell Beazley
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1840001771
• ISBN 13: 9781840001778
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160