BLACK SEA TOAST

Black Sea Toast image

Caviar has always symbolized the best in life; it is the single food most clearly identified with wealth, opulence and luxury. Yet for the connoisseur, caviar is more than a sybaritic, ostentatious display of riches. It is the ultimate edible, with all the subtleties, complexities and refinement of a great vintage wine or Champagne.

Provided by Jacques Pepin

Time 15m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

2 hard-cooked eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
4 slices black Russian, dark pumpernickel, or Danish-style hard rye bread, about 4 to 5 inches in diameter
6 tablespoons (about 3 ounces) salmon caviar
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped chives
4 lemon wedges

Steps:

Shell the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Push the whites and the yolks separately through a sieve and set aside in individual bowls.
Rinse the chopped onion in a colander under cold water. (Rinsed onion is milder in flavor and will not discolor.) Drain, transfer to a kitchen towel and press to remove any excess water.
Trim the crust from the bread slices. Spoon some caviar around the edges of each slice, spreading it gently to create a 1/2-inch border of caviar. Inside this border, right next to the roe, spread the sieved egg white on the bread to form a ring that is 1/2 inch wide. Inside this ring, spread the sieved egg yolk to form another 1/2-inch ring. Inside that, spread the chopped onions to form a 1/2-inch ring. In the center of each slice, place 1 tablespoon of sour cream.
Garnish each slice with a few grains of caviar and the chives. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 142, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 7 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 9 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 433 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram