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Calling All Caviar Lovers
As a fellow caviar lover, I saw this caviar pie and I had to try it! And let me tell you…it did not disappoint. This recipe combines all the good things that pair with caviar and turns it into the most glamorous pie you have ever seen. The ritz crust, the creamy egg mousse, the whipped crème fraîche and cream cheese with lemon zest, topped with chives and the star of the show, caviar! This is a must for your next holiday or special event!
Table of Contents
Worth the Splurge
Why You’ll Love this Caviar Pie
The crust. Most caviar pie recipes don’t have a crust. They start with the egg layer. This recipe starts with Ritz crackers pulsed with melted butter and chives, and then pressed into a salty, buttery base.
The eggs are a mousse. Instead of chopped hard boiled eggs, these go through the food processor with butter and a spoonful of the cream cheese until smooth, with shallot pulsed in at the end so it keeps a little bite.
The whipped crème fraîche and cream cheese. This is seasoned with white pepper, onion powder, and lemon zest, all classic caviar pairings.
You make it the day before. The top layer sets overnight, so the day you serve it the only work left is unmolding, chives, and caviar.
The Mousse Layer
Boiling the Eggs
Start with room temperature eggs and use an egg piercer on each one.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, lower the eggs in gently with a spider strainer, and cover the pot. Boil for 8 minutes.
Move them into an ice bath and let cool for about 15 minutes.
To peel, tap each egg all over and roll it on a towel, then slip it back into the ice water while you crack the rest. Start peeling with the first egg you cracked.
These get pulsed into the mousse, so a torn egg does not matter here the way it would if you were serving them whole. Cut them in half.
For more details, check out my Boiled Eggs Recipe.
Treat Yourself
All About Caviar
Buying your first tin is nerve-racking because you are spending real money on something small that you cannot taste first. Here is what actually matters.
Which one to get. Osetra, kaluga, and Siberian sturgeon are the three you will see most. Osetra is the classic and tastes nutty and buttery, kaluga has the biggest pearls, and Siberian is usually the least expensive of the three with a clean, crisp taste. All three work on this pie.
Where I buy. There are a lot of great caviar suppliers, but I love Imperia Caviar and that’s usually where I buy from.
How much you need. You need an 8.8 oz tin to cover the pie edge to edge. Scale it down for a thinner scatter or up if you want the pearls piled higher.
If the price is what is stopping you, use salmon roe. It costs a fraction of a sturgeon tin. The main difference is the pearls are bigger, they are bright orange, and the flavor is sweeter and it’s more briny.
Two things that will waste good caviar. Don’t use a metal spoon, silver and steel leave a metallic taste behind. Use a mother of pearl, glass, or plastic spoon. And do not open the tin until you are ready to use it. Once it is open it lasts two or three days in the coldest part of the fridge, tightly covered.
Hosting Made Easy
Make-Ahead and Storage
Build it the day before. The top layer needs 12 hours to set, so this gets made a day ahead by design. Caviar and topping chives go on after you unmold, right before serving.
Keep it cold. This is an egg dish. USDA guidance gives you two hours at room temperature, one hour if the room is over 90°F (32°C).
How long it keeps. Three days assembled and uncut. Once the caviar is on, finish it the next day. Leftover caviar in an open tin lasts only two to three days, tightly covered in the coldest part of the fridge.
Do not freeze it. The pearls rupture as they thaw and the dairy layers separate.
How to Serve
Serve the pie with something plain and crisp. Water crackers, toast points, or blini. To drink, champagne or a martini are both classic picks.
If you want the whole menu, here is how I would run it. Start everyone with a Blue Cheese Dirty Martini while the pie is on the table. For the main, Chateaubriand with its shallot and crème fraîche pan sauce, served over Potato Puree with an Arugula Fennel Salad alongside. Finish with Berry Panna Cotta, which is another one you make the day before.
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Key Takeaways
- Make it a full day ahead. The top layer needs 12 hours in the fridge to set.
- Caviar and chives go on after you unmold, right before serving. Never before.
- About 6 oz of caviar covers an 8-inch pie edge to edge. Less is fine if you scatter it. More if you want a thicker layer.
- Osetra, kaluga, and Siberian sturgeon all work. Siberian is usually the least expensive.
- Salmon roe is a fraction of the price. But, the pearls are much larger, they’re bright orange, and the flavor is sweeter and brinier.
- Do not freeze it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and it needs to chill in the fridge for 12 hours to set. Wait to top with the caviar and the chives until right before you serve it.
Osetra, kaluga, and Siberian sturgeon all work here. Osetra is nutty and buttery, kaluga has the biggest pearls, and Siberian is usually the least expensive of the three. I buy mine from Imperia Caviar. For more info on the caviar, check out the All About Caviar Section.
You can, and it’s a fraction of the cost. The difference is mainly that the pearls are much larger, they’re bright orange, and the flavor is sweeter and brinier.
An 8.8 oz tin covers an 8-inch pie edge to edge. Use less for a thin scatter across the top, more if you want the layer piled deeper.
You need straight sides and a way to lift the pie out. The plastic wrap lining does most of that work, so a cake ring set on a plate works the same way. A sloped pie dish will not unmold.
No. This is not a freeze friendly dish.
Three days assembled and uncut. Once it is cut and the caviar is on, finish it the next day.
Equipment
- 8-inch springform pan
- plastic wrap
- Mixing bowl
- hand mixer or whisk
- large bowl for ice bath
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1 sleeve ritz crackers, or golden rounds
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 7 tbsp chives, divided
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened, divided
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- salt, to taste
- 1 shallot, brunoise
- black pepper, to taste
- 4 oz crème fraîche
- 8.8 oz caviar, adjust this amount to taste
- 3 mini radishes, optional
Instructions
- Boil the Eggs: Add eggs to boiling water and cook 8 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath and let sit 15 minutes. Peel and halve, keeping the whites fully set and the yolks semi-runny.8 large eggs
- Make the Crust: Add ritz crackers to a food processor and pulse until semi pulverized. Add 7 tbsp melted butter and 2 tbsp chives and pulse until incorporated. Line an 8-inch springform pan with two overlapping layers of plastic wrap. Press the cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan and refrigerate 30 minutes.1 sleeve ritz crackers, 7 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp chives.
- Whipped Cream Cheese Base: Whip the cream cheese with the lemon zest, white pepper, and onion powder until smooth. Remove from the food processor and set aside.8 oz cream cheese, 1 lemon, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Make the Egg Layer: To the food processor, add the eggs, 1 tbsp of the whipped cream cheese, a pinch of salt, and the remaining 3 tbsp melted butter. Pulse until semi smooth. Add the shallot and pulse 1-2 times to incorporate. Season with black pepper. taste and adjust for seasoning, remember the caviar is salty. Spread the egg mixture over the chilled crust and refrigerate 30-60 minutes.3 tbsp unsalted butter, salt, 1 shallot, black pepper
- Finish and Chill: Mix the crème fraîche into the remaining cream cheese mixture and spread over the egg layer. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours.4 oz crème fraîche
- Unmold and Garnish: Unmold the pie and clean the edges. Top with remaining chives and caviar to taste. Top with mini radishes if you would like.8.8 oz caviar, 5 tbsp chives.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
