Red caviar butterbrods
Buterbrody s ikroi (бутерброды с икрой): buttered white bread with salmon roe
When the Soviet festive table had one luxury, this was it: little slices of white bread, thick with cold butter and topped with glistening orange salmon roe, set out for New Year's Eve, birthdays and the first course of a wedding. The pleasure is in the textures, the bead-like eggs bursting with a salty sea taste against sweet butter and soft bread. Salmon roe is salted and cured, not cooked: buy pasteurised roe in a chilled jar or tin from a good fishmonger, keep it in the fridge and eat it the day it is opened; it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. A common mistake is spreading the butter thin; you need a proper layer to anchor the roe. Chef's tip: spoon the roe with a plastic or bone spoon rather than metal, and add it at the last minute so it stays plump.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 12 slices white baguette or soft white loafabout 1 cm thick
- 2 ⅛ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 3 ½ oz pasteurised salmon roe (red caviar)well chilled
- ⅛ oz fresh dill sprigs (optional)
- ¼ lemon (optional)cut into tiny wedges
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Cut the 12 slices white baguette or soft white loaf into neat slices, trimming the crusts if you like a dainty look.
3 minStep 2: Spread each slice generously with the soft 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter right to the edges, about 5 g per slice.
3 minStep 3: Just before serving, spoon about 1 heaped teaspoon of 3 ½ oz pasteurised salmon roe (red caviar) onto each slice, spreading it gently in a single layer so the eggs do not burst.
3 minStep 4: Top with a ⅛ oz fresh dill sprigs sprig and a tiny ¼ lemon wedge and serve at once, or keep in the fridge for no more than 30 minutes. Not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does red caviar butterbrods take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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