The Edinburgh five-star hotel chef who's showcasing the most luxurious fishy ingredient

On October 21, their chef, Mathew Sherry, will be showcasing a multi-course tasting menu for £185pp and every dinner dish will feature caviar which they’ve sourced from producers N25.  Dishes include Orkney scallop with beurre blanc and roe, as well as a caviar crumpet.

We asked Sherry a few questions about the forthcoming event. 

Do you remember your first time trying caviar and what did you think?

I think everyone, especially chefs, will remember their first time trying caviar. I was 21 and working with chef Dominic Jack at Castle Terrace in Edinburgh, he had received a sample tin and opened it for us all to try a caviar bump.  It was slightly fishy, nicely salted and the texture was so new and interesting to me, I had never experienced anything quite like it.

How did this collaboration come about?

We’ve been working with this caviar for over two years. Jason Hillis from N25 Caviar and myself kept discussing how we could offer our new and existing guests a more diverse dining format that would really showcase it, so Jason will join us and he will introduce everyone to the story of each caviar.

What is it about caviar that makes it such a luxury treat?

First and foremost it's the unique, delicate and savoury flavour profiles but also the real rarity of certain caviar varieties. 

 Is it difficult to showcase in dishes, because of its delicacy?

Not particularly. It’s important to use ingredients that can harmonise with or enhance the pairing. I have found it really interesting to pair caviar with produce we don't usually, such as chocolate for the dessert. The saltiness in the caviar enhances the sweetness in the chocolate in the same way as say salted caramel.

How did you design the dishes you'll be serving at the event?

I looked at all the flavour profiles of each caviar then tasted each that we wanted to showcase.  Then we sourced different types of ingredients that would pair well and tasted them together.  We had to look at salinity, fat content, texture of our potential produce whilst sticking to our seasonal ethos. 

Is there a resurgence of interest in it as an ingredient?

I think it is more that we are finding ways to make caviar accessible to our team and guests, it is now being served in new and more casual ways. A lot of restaurants, as well as us here in Number One, are approaching the use of caviar in different ways rather than only the traditional methods.  

For tickets, see www.roccofortehotels.com