What goes in a caviar kit: everything you need to serve caviar at home
A caviar kit needs one fresh tin of caviar, a bowl of crushed ice, non-metal spoons, warm blini and cold crème fraîche. Chopped chives, hard-boiled egg and plain potato chips are optional extras. Everything except the caviar can be bought ahead. The caviar should arrive cold, on the day it will be eaten.
The essentials
| Item | Why | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh caviar | The point of it all | 15–30 g per person. 30 g for a first taste, 50 g for two, 125 g for a dinner. |
| Bowl of crushed ice | Keeps the tin at serving temperature | A glass or crystal bowl wide enough to nest the tin in. Refill as it melts. |
| Non-metal spoons | Metal can add a taste | Mother-of-pearl is classic; bone, horn, wood or glass work too. One per guest is nice. |
| Blini | The classic base | Small, plain and warm. Homemade or store-bought. |
| Crème fraîche | Cool, rich contrast | Sour cream works too. |
Nice extras
- Chives, finely snipped
- Hard-boiled egg, yolk and white chopped separately
- Plain, thick-cut potato chips: a modern favorite
- Toast points or plain brioche, lightly toasted
- Linen napkins. Caviar is eaten with fingers as often as spoons.
What to skip
- Lemon and raw onion. They cover the flavor of good caviar.
- Flavored crackers. Anything seasoned competes with the roe.
- Silver or stainless spoons for serving straight from the tin.
- Anything that won't stay cold. A gift hamper that sits under a tree is no place for fresh caviar.
Putting one together as a gift
The spoons, the bowl and the blini mix keep for months. Fresh caviar doesn't: it should go from cold storage to the fridge it will be eaten from in as short a time as possible. So split the gift in two:
- Give the kit ahead: a pair of mother-of-pearl spoons, a small crystal bowl, a box of blini mix or a recipe card for buckwheat blini, and a note saying when the caviar will arrive.
- Have the caviar delivered on the day, cold, timed for when they'll be home. With Opus you can pick a one-hour window up to six days ahead, add a note, and keep it a surprise until the courier is about 10 minutes away.
See caviar as a gift for sizes and holiday timing, and the mother-of-pearl spoon care guide to keep the spoons looking new.
How to set it up
- Fill the bowl with crushed ice about 15 minutes before guests arrive.
- Warm the blini and set out the crème fraîche and extras in small bowls.
- Take the tin out of the fridge last, open it, and nestle it in the ice.
- Serve one tin at a time; keep the rest sealed in the fridge.
- Once opened, enjoy the caviar within 48 hours.
For the full method, see how to serve caviar.
Choose your tin of fresh Imperial Ossetra for same-day delivery across the South Bay, usually in about an hour.