Not quite champagne and caviar
The “champagne” is vintage cava, which is actually better than the cheaper champagnes, and quite a good deal better than prosecco. But it must be vintage cava. I usually buy it when it’s reduced to about £7 for a 75cl bottle. The ‘caviar’ is Onuga, a created name designed to call to mind Beluga and Sevruga, both genuine caviars.
Caviar, the roe of Caspian Sea sturgeon, is a love it or loathe it food. I love it, and think it’s probably my favourite food. Most cheap imitations are lumpfish roe and have neither the taste nor texture of the real thing, even though I quite like them anyway. This Onuga is very much better, made from herring, and processed to capture the taste and texture of real caviar. It’s salty, of course, and the tiny spheres crush against the roof of the mouth with bursts of flavour. This costs £4 for 150 gm from Sainsbury’s or Tesco’s, whereas real caviar would be more like £300+ for Beluga and maybe £200+ for Sevruga. I serve it on tiny blinis with creme fraiche.