"Every year, Steve Stallard produces the most amazing trout roe from spring-fed trout ponds in Michigan.
I started using these eggs at Trio. I would talk to Steve as he was pulling the fish from the ponds and processing them, and he would talk about the nuances of the eggs’ flavors like he was describing a wine. That would start the ball rolling in my mind as to how I would garnish the eggs. When the roe arrived at the restaurant, I would taste it, and often the purity of flavor and vibrant orange-honey color would remind me of tropical flavors like ginger, passion fruit, coconut, and aromatic elements, like ginger and coriander. The resulting flavor combination provides a nice sweet and salty balance, and the flavors and aromas of the tropical fruits bring out those exact flavors in the roe."
—Grant Achatz, Alinea, Chicago