Smoked Salmon Blini
Bite-sized buckwheat pancakes topped with crème fraîche, smoked salmon and dill. Russian in origin, now a fixture of Christmas drinks parties. Make the blini ahead; assemble in the last ten minutes.
Overview
Yeasted buckwheat batter rises briefly, then dollops of it cook into small fluffy pancakes on a flat pan. Topped with a small spoon of crème fraîche, a curl of smoked salmon, dill, lemon zest, and a tiny grind of pepper. Perfect with cold champagne.
Ingredients
Blini batter
- 100 g plain flour
- 100 g buckwheat flour
- 1 teaspoon dried yeast
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 250 ml whole milk (warm)
- 2 eggs (large, separated)
- 30 g unsalted butter (melted)
To cook
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for the pan)
Topping
- 200 g crème fraîche
- 200 g smoked salmon (sliced into 4 cm strips)
- A small bunch of fresh dill (sprigs picked)
- 1 lemon (zest and a few wedges)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Stage 1 - Make the batter
- Whisk both flours, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl.
- Pour in the warm milk; whisk to a smooth batter.
- Cover; rise in a warm place for 1 hour (the surface should be bubbly).
- Whisk in the egg yolks and melted butter.
- Whip the egg whites to soft peaks; fold gently into the batter.
Stage 2 - Cook the blini
- Heat a wide non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
- Brush with a tiny knob of butter.
- Drop teaspoonfuls of batter into the pan, spaced apart (each blini is about 4 cm across).
- Cook for 1-2 minutes until bubbles cover the surface and edges set.
- Flip; cook another 30 seconds.
- Transfer to a wire rack; repeat with the rest of the batter, brushing more butter as needed.
Stage 3 - Assemble (last 10 minutes only)
- Top each blini with a small dollop of crème fraîche.
- Lay a curl of smoked salmon over.
- Tuck a small sprig of dill on top.
- Grate a tiny bit of lemon zest over.
- Add a twist of black pepper.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Arrange on a platter; lemon wedges alongside.
- Pass with chilled champagne or vodka.
Notes
- Buckwheat for character: All plain flour gives a fluffier but blander blini. Buckwheat brings the proper Russian earthiness.
- Make blini ahead: Cool completely, store in an airtight container; warm briefly in a low oven before topping.
- Don't dollop crème fraîche too early: Goes runny and soaks the blini if assembled more than 15 minutes before serving.
Storage
- Plain blini keep 2 days refrigerated, freeze 2 months. Re-warm at 150°C for 5 minutes.
- Topped blini don't keep; assemble at the moment of serving.
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