New Year's Lucky Lentil Caviar

Lucky Food for a Lucky Wallet

Few foods say “New Year’s Eve” like caviar.

It’s festive, it’s lucky (since fish only swim forward, they represent progress), and it pairs beautifully with the Champagne or sparkling wines you’re going to be opening.

The only problem with caviar for New Year’s celebrations is the price. I can’t speak for you, but I’m usually pretty tapped out after all the holiday feasts, gifts, wine, and end-of-year donations. Something that costs $50/ounce at the low end isn’t ideal. So this year, I devised a caviar stand-in that brings all the festive flavor and future prosperity without the big down payment. Put it on ice, serve it with the classic accompaniments, and ring in the new year with a light heart and heavier wallet.

Is it caviar? Or is it caviar lentils?

Now I admit, the idea of substituting caviar lentils for caviar is not the most original thing in the world. I’m sure someone else has done this besides vegans. But I haven’t seen a recipe that actually has the briny, clean fish flavor of real caviar, so I hope that this non-vegan preparation adds something to the Internet’s canon of caviar lentil recipes – and maybe inspires some festive fun.

I’m looking forward to packing a giant empty tuna can with this stuff and serving it up for a big party . . . whenever we’re able to do that again.

I’m thinking something like this epic tin of Tsar Nicolai caviar.

This recipe calls for a few specialty ingredients for best effect, but you can also make the recipe without the kombu and walnut oil if you just can’t (or won’t) get them. Once you have these delicious ingredients in your home pantry, though, they’ll stay good for many months and create many, many pounds of “caviar” for a fraction of the cost. They’ll also help you make many other interesting dishes that have nothing to do with caviar.

Let’s start with the lentils, though.

Lentils, like fish, are considered lucky foods that invite prosperity in the future, so you’re not losing any of the superstitious benefits of real New Year’s caviar by substituting lentils for fish eggs — you’re just saving money and reducing cholesterol.

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The ones you want for this recipe are sold in the U.S. as “black lentils,” “caviar lentils,” and sometimes “Beluga lentils” because they’re sized like the large-grained, ultra-expensive Beluga caviar. As you can see, they’ve got black skins and a rounded fish egg-like shape, which cooks up firm and intact (unlike many other lentils). Black lentils are fantastic for any kind of lentil salad, so this is by no means the only dish you’ll make with them. Rancho Gordo in Napa sells what you want, as do many specialty food stores and, of course, our friend Amazon (and some Whole Foods Markets via Amazon, for $2.99/pound). If you can’t get black ones try French green lentils or lentilles de Puy, which have a similar texture and dark color.

Kombu – dried kelp seaweed – is a staple ingredient in Japanese and Korean cooking, and the star player in Japanese dashi broth. Chock full of good-for-you minerals as well as glutamic acid, kombu adds a rich and satisfying flavor (umami) to everything it touches. Some people also believe kombu helps digest legumes, so if you normally avoid eating lentils for this reason, you might want to give this recipe a try. You can find kombu in many mainstream grocery stores, as well as from Amazon. Note that kombu is not the same as dulse, wakame or nori seaweed. If you don’t have kombu, it’s not the end of the world; just skip the first step of the recipe and cook the lentils in plain salted water.

Strong Arm Farm in Santa Rosa, CA produces hand-harvested Sonoma Coast kombu.

Fish sauce brings another layer of sea-rich umami flavor, plus the salty fish essence caviar eaters expect from fish eggs. (It also replaces the fish-induced good luck power of real caviar.) If you don’t already have fish sauce in your pantry, it’s easy to find these days at mainstream grocery stores. I recommend Red Boat brand for a clean, pure product free of chemical additives. Three Crabs is a solid backup, though, with good flavor at a lower price. These are both much cheaper to buy in your local grocery store than online, but if online is your only option, it’s totally worth it. The product lasts a long time in your fridge, but also offers countless other uses in marinades, salad dressings, and virtually all Vietnamese dishes. You need fish sauce in your life, and in this recipe.

Walnut oil is the other secret ingredient that adds nutty depth and mysterious richness to this lentil caviar. I like La Tourangelle’s roasted walnut oil, which is available from Amazon and at Whole Foods. It has a very strong flavor, so you only want to use a little bit here for intrigue. Round out the rest of the fattiness needed with a buttery olive oil (Arbequiña olive oils work great), avocado oil, or other soft, neutral option. Store your opened walnut oil in the fridge to keep it fresher longer. If you don’t have walnut oil, use almond or whatever nutty oil you do have.

I recommend serving this “Kansas Kaviar” with classic caviar accompaniments for the right festive look and feel. Serve it on ice with sieved hard boiled egg, crème fraîche, chopped chives, and whatever other caviar accompaniments you like (minced red onion, capers, etc.). You could certainly make blini if you want to, but toast points are a lot easier. Potato chips – one of my favorite real caviar accompaniments – are even easier (and gluten-free, if that matters to you).

The only other thing you need is a bottle of bubbly, and something to celebrate.

Cheers to 2021!

Beluga Lentil Caviar

(a.k.a. “Kansas Kaviar”)

Serves 4 as an appetizer

5-inch piece dried kombu, broken in two

1 tsp coarse sea salt

¼ cup black caviar lentils

2 tsp buttery olive oil or avocado oil

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp walnut oil

Make Friends with Kombu.

Give the kombu a quick rinse, then put it in a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring it to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes then turn off the heat, add the sea salt, and leave the pot covered for 5 minutes more.

Cook the Lentils.

Rinse the lentils off, then add them to the kombu pot and simmer them gently with the cover off until the lentils are soft, but not mushy (around 20 minutes). Taste a few to be sure they’re done.

Make Lentils Taste like Caviar.

When your lentils are cooked, drain them in a colander. Remove the kombu pieces and save for another recipe (slice it up as a “noodle” or extra veggie for soups/salads). Whisk together the olive oil, fish sauce and walnut oil in a small mixing bowl, then pour your hot drained lentils into the mixing bowl and toss gently to incorporate. Let the lentils sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature so they can absorb the dressing and reflect on what they’ve learned.

Serve “caviar” at room temperature in small containers (on crushed ice for best effect), with a caviar-appropriate spoon and your favorite caviar accompaniments.

Easy Caviar Accompaniments

8 pieces sliced white bread

1 hard boiled egg, white separated from yolk

4 Tbsp crème fraîche or sour cream

6 chives, finely minced

Toast the bread until light golden brown, then cool on a rack. Cut the crusts off, then cut each piece across the diagonal into triangle halves. Arrange the toast points on a bread serving plate.

Finely chop the egg whites, and put on the accompaniment plate(s). Grate the egg yolk with a micro zester or fine grater, and put on the accompaniment plate(s). Dollop the crème fraîche on the accompaniment plate, and arrange the chives there as well.

To eat, spread each toast triangle with a generous smear of crème fraîche, then add the lentils and top with a pinch of the egg and chives.