These used to appear back in the 70s, as tiny finger sandwiches when my mother was hosting particularly elegant cocktail parties.
Fast forward to 20 years later to when I was working in the luxury restaurant industry. A grateful client gifted me with a huge tin of caviar for the holidays and my sister and I, remembering how delicious those one-bite-and-they're-gone treats were, decided to make sandwich-sized versions of my mom's famous canapé. This has now become a family tradition anytime caviar makes an appearance in our lives - paddlefish caviar and salmon roe work just fine in a pinch as well.
The first time I made one of these for Stubbie, his gastronomic French sensibilities were horribly offended. Then he tasted the sandwich, scarfed it and asked for another one. The wheel has come full circle since he now often offers this hors d'oeuvre as a New Year's Eve amuse-bouche, festooned with edible gold leaf.
In every single incarnation of this holiday treat, bubbles are mandatory,
Recipe
Makes 1 sandwich or 4 canapés
This is another one of my recipes that requires you to wing it rather than to measure out precise amounts. Mea culpa.
2 pieces of your favorite bread. If making canapés, remove the crusts.
Spread one side of each piece of bread generously with cream cheese. Slather as much caviar as your budget and conscience will allow on one of the cream cheese topped bread slices. Place the other one, cream cheese side in, on top to form a sandwich.
Melt a pat of butter in a frying pan; medium low heat is best for this. As soon as the butter has melted, put the sandwich in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, flip with a spatula, and cook an additional minute or so until golden brown on both sides. More butter should be added after flipping if the pan is dry.
Remove to a plate if making a sandwich (and eat at once), to a board in order to be cut in 4 if making canapés. The canapés will keep in a very warm oven for an hour or so if needs be.