24 DECEMBER 2020
OBSESSIONS
AS CAVIAR BECOMES increasingly
sustainable and accessible, we’re
thrilled to ditch the Champagne,
stuffy white tablecloths, and
mother-of-pearl spoons. Instead,
we’re following the guidance of our
favorite restaurant pros for how to
embrace caviar as a choose-your-
own-adventure that’s as fancy or
quotidian as you want it to be.- THOU SHALT PURCHASE
SUSTAINABLE CAVIAR.
Choose caviar from farmed sturgeon,
which Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood
Watch deems the best choice for sustain-
ability. Not sure where to start? We’re
big fans of Pearl Street Caviar’s Ossetra
Caviar ($77 for 30 grams, pearlstreetcaviar
.com) and Island Creek Oysters’ Sterling
Two Color White Sturgeon Caviar ($150 for
50 grams, shop.islandcreekoysters.com). - THOU SHALT TREAT CAVIAR AS A
CONDIMENT.
Caviar’s briny flavor plays beautifully
against other foods, adding a saline pop.
Chefs are putting it on hot dogs, egg
salad sandwiches, and even pancakes.
New York City–based restaurateur and
owner of newly launched CaviAIR Ariel
Arce likes to keep a tin in the fridge and
scoop it onto roast chicken or crispy
potatoes. - THOU SHALT EAT CAVIAR
FOR DESSERT.
Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Miro
Uskokovic garnishes desserts with caviar:
“I finish almost every dish with a salty
component, and caviar offsets sweetness
well.” He suggests trying it on vanilla ice
cream or with white chocolate. - THOU SHALT GIVE UP THY
MOTHER-OF-PEARL SPOONS.
“A pocketknife works just fine [to serve
caviar], as does a bag of chips,” says
Michael Passmore of Passmore Caviar.
Most people already have perfect utensils
at home that are unlikely to impact the
taste of caviar: Stainless steel, glass,
wooden, and even plastic spoons will get
the job done. - THOU SHALT LOOK PAST THE
CHAMPAGNE-CAVIAR PAIRING.
Arce suggests exploring caviar with dry,
crisp white wines like Trebbiano. She’s
also fond of pairing it with sparkling teas
that capture the essence of flavor without
much sugar, like Minna’s Citrus Black Tea
($28 for 12 cans, drinkminna.com).
THE INDULGENCEe Five New Commandments
of Caviar Hint: Drop that spoon.
By Antara Sinha and Khushbu ShahGOT CAVIAR QUESTIONS?
Call the CaviAIR hotline to chat with
Federico Guillermo Arce Jr., Ariel’s dad
and a caviar aficionado: 844-4-CAVIAIR.PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY HAGEN