Richard Blais' Tip For Buying Caviar - Exclusive
Right now, you can see Richard Blais using his expertise to coach stressed-out contestants on Gordon Ramsay's "Next Level Chef," but he has worn many hats in his career. From staging at the legendary El Bulli to winning "Top Chef All-Stars" to writing cookbooks to guest-starring on numerous Food Network shows, if it has to do with food or media, he's probably done it.
That includes being a podcast host. Blais acted as the "judge" in the podcast "Food Court," where he playfully tried to settle lighthearted food disputes. Inspired by the podcast's premise, we asked Blais about his own most controversial food opinion in an exclusive interview. He responded with his advice about what type of caviar to avoid. "My spiciest culinary take, it's a little bit deep, but I don't like salmon caviar. I think salmon caviar is too fishy. I think people use it to just make things pretty. It is pretty, but there's too much. We're putting too much salmon caviar on things."
Despite Blais' hot take about the merits of salmon caviar, he likes sturgeon caviar just fine. If you're looking for a luxe garnish for a fancy meal, that's the type of fish egg he endorses.
The difference between salmon caviar and sturgeon caviar
Technically, salmon eggs shouldn't even be called caviar. Generally, fish eggs are referred to as "roe," and only the eggs of a certain type of sturgeon can be called true caviar.
Salmon roe can easily be distinguished from caviar by color; The former is bright orange, while the latter is black. In addition to the fishiness noted by Blais, salmon roe tends to be quite salty. On the other hand, Sturgeon caviar has a more nuanced, rich taste and a softer texture. While salmon roe's eye-catching looks enhance the visual aspects of dishes, it will never be a substitute for real caviar. Still, it does have one major advantage over sturgeon eggs — price. Salmon roe is much cheaper than true caviar, which may be a big factor in explaining its popularity.
"Next Level Chef" airs Thursdays on Fox at 8 p.m. ET/PT.