The gospel of caviar in four easy lessons: (1) it comes exclusively from Caspian Sea sturgeon; (2) it is always served plain on a lightly buttered toast triangle, perhaps with a lemon wedge; (3) it is eaten only as an appetizer or with cocktails; and (4) it is very expensive.
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But the use of domestic roe isn’t the only thing that’s different about some of these caviars. Take for example “Caviar Peppar,” which Collins makes from golden-orange whitefish eggs as big as new peas, then infuses with Absolut Peppar vodka and red chili peppers, or “Caviar Citron,” made with citrus juices and oils and a shot of Absolut Citron vodka.
The Collinses figured that if they could soak the roe, why not smoke it–and so were born “Lone Star Caviar” and “Smoked Chicago Golden,” each smoked with different woods to impart a special flavor. Along the same lines, these iconoclasts have put out a recipe book, the first in an eventual series of six, which suggests such radical concoctions as caviar spaghetti, caviar and zucchini pancakes, and cheese enchiladas con caviar.
The Collinses’ next project is to establish a roe-hold in the home-consumer market. In pursuit of this goal, Rachel (who is so devoted to caviar that she sports a three-inch-long tattoo of a leaping silver salmon on one ankle) recently developed a line of caviar butters–whipped butter with caviar and spices folded in. “While some home cooks may feel a bit intimidated working with caviar, everyone knows how to put butter on a baked potato,” she says. Caviar butter is also less expensive and has a longer shelf life than caviar alone. Collins Caviar is already selling its butter in Chicago’s Treasure Island Foods and Balducci’s in New York, and now it’s aiming for national supermarket chains.
