Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here’s a luxurious little treat to make and serve at home that may bring to mind your most elite restaurant thrills. It’s based on the beggar’s purse, a signature appetizer at the Quilted Giraffe, a groundbreaking ’80s-era New York City restaurant.
The beggar’s purse was a voluptuous serving of Beluga caviar and sour cream spooned onto the center of a crepe, the ends of which were then gathered up and tied with a bow of chive. The resulting little bag with the pleats at the top looked like a purse, but there was nothing beggarly about its contents. It was rich in all ways.
Caviar has been considered a decadent treat for ages. About 200 years ago, the United States produced so much of it, saloons used to give it away for free with a glass of beer. That changed, of course. And as true sturgeon caviar (considered the very best) has become rarer, the price has become steeper.
In recent decades, American-made caviar has made a comeback. And the quality is excellent. You can find several American sturgeon caviars as well as many fish roes, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, paddlefish and bowfin. Less expensive than sturgeon caviar, they’re all quite tasty, which makes them good alternatives for the budget-minded.