RECIPES

Springform Pan Layered Caviar Appetizer

Milwaukee

“It’s best to prepare this tasty and special appetizer the day or evening before your dinner party, or at the latest, by noon on the day of a 7 p.m. dinner party,” says Great Host Rochelle Lamm.

“When buying caviar for this recipe, grocery store-quality is just fine; and can be found for $10 to $12 a jar at most markets in the gourmet food section. However, if you or your guests are caviar aficionados and want to blow your budget with more expensive roe, go for it.”

Great Host:Family favorites grace her table in Fox Point or her island home

Recipe tested by Joanne Kempinger Demski

Springform Pan Layered Caviar Appetizer is a special dish.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

  • 1 dozen hard-cooked eggs, chilled, peeled and diced
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 bunches green onions, cleaned and sliced into about ¼-inch pieces (both green and white parts)
  • 1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
  • 2 jars (2 ounces each) black caviar, well-drained (I use Romanoff brand)
  • 1 medium bunch fresh parsley for garnish
  • 1 large lemon, halved and thinly sliced for garnish
  • Toast points or boxed melba toasts (round or square)

In a bowl, mix eggs and enough mayonnaise until they are the consistency of a firm (not runny) egg salad.

Assemble a 9-inch springform pan so that the bottom plate is held firmly in place.

Using a kitchen knife or a narrow spatula, spread egg salad mixture evenly over bottom of pan.

Spread green onions on top of egg salad, making sure that egg mixture is completely covered.

Use the spatula to frost onion layer with sour cream. Wetting the spatula will help spread the sour cream so it covers onions completely and can be spread right to edges of pan.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours before serving.

To finish: Set springform pan in center of a round serving plate that is slightly larger than the base of the pan. Release side of pan.

Top with a layer of caviar, being sure to drain it very well so it doesn’t soak into the sour cream and discolor it.

Garnish with alternating sprigs of parsley and halved lemon slices around the edges.

Each serving should be cut into a small pie-shaped wedge and served on a small plate with one or two lemon slices and a couple of sprigs of parsley.

Serve with fresh toast points (my preference) or round or square Melba toasts.