Quick and Tasty Mushroom Caviar Recipe from Champignons

Champignons were brought to Russia from France, where they began to be cultivated in the mid-18th century. It is said that gardeners accidentally discovered these mushrooms in their beds and decided to try them—and so the find spread to other countries. Nowadays, champignons are often added to casseroles, pickled for winter, and fried. But there are other, perhaps less popular but no less tasty dishes. For example, you can make homemade mushroom caviar according to the signature recipe of the co-owner of the Zakamskie Champignons farm, Ekaterina Lobach—in November we published a major report from the unusual operation.

For the mushroom caviar you will need 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb) of champignons, three medium carrots, two large onions, four cloves of garlic, vegetable oil, salt, ground black pepper, one bay leaf, and two tablespoons of 6% vinegar.

First, wash the champignons and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Pour half a liter of cold water into a pot, add the mushrooms, bring to a boil, and add the bay leaf. Boil the champignons for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a colander and let the water drain.

To avoid wasting time while the mushrooms are boiling, you can peel the vegetables. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, cut the onion into medium or large cubes, and chop the garlic cloves into small pieces. Turn the stove to medium heat, warm a frying pan with vegetable oil, and fry the vegetables until cooked. Turn off the heat, add the garlic, and mix the ingredients in the pan.

Next, alternately grind the mushrooms and vegetables through a meat grinder or chop them in a blender. To the finished mixture, add salt, pepper, vinegar, and five tablespoons of vegetable oil, then mix everything—and the champignon caviar is ready.

Jars for the preserve can be sterilized in two ways—either with hot steam or by washing them with baking soda and rinsing with hot water. After the mushroom caviar has cooled, spoon it into the jars and put them in the refrigerator—there it can be stored for up to one year. For sealing, both screw-on lids that are twisted by hand and tin lids for canning are suitable.

The taste of the mushroom caviar is very rich and fresh—we sampled this delicacy during the report from the Zakamskie Champignons farm and were very satisfied. And a jar of the delicacy brought to the editorial office was gone within a few hours. Champignon caviar can be eaten as a standalone dish, a side dish for main courses, or spread on bread.

Earlier we explained how to cook real Georgian achma (a layered cheese pastry)—the recipe for a multi-layered khachapuri (a Georgian cheese-filled bread) made from boiled dough was shared by our journalist«s mother.