Blini with Caviar

About This Recipe

Blini are small, yeasted buckwheat pancakes that have graced Russian tables for centuries, long associated with Maslenitsa (Butter Week) celebrations. Their slightly earthy, nutty flavour is the perfect foil for the briny pop of caviar, a dollop of crème fraîche, and a wisp of fresh dill.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 100 gbuckwheat flour
• 100 gplain flour
• 7 ginstant yeast (1 sachet)
• 300 mlwarm whole milk
• 2 pcseggs, yolks and whites separated
• 0.5 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 2 tbspbutter, melted, plus extra for cooking
• 50 gcaviar or salmon roe
• 150 mlcrème fraîche or sour cream
• 10 gfresh dill sprigs

Instructions

1. 1

   Activate yeast

   Whisk both flours, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add warm milk and egg yolks. Whisk until smooth. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until bubbly and risen.

2. 2

   Fold in egg whites

   Whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold into the batter along with the melted butter, taking care not to deflate the mixture.

3. 3

   Cook blini

   Heat a non-stick pan or blini pan over medium heat and brush with a little butter. Drop tablespoons of batter to form 7–8 cm rounds. Cook for 2 minutes until bubbles form and edges set, then flip and cook for 1 minute more. Keep warm in a low oven.

4. 4

   Assemble

   Arrange blini on a serving platter. Top each with a small spoonful of crème fraîche, then a small amount of caviar or salmon roe, and a dill sprig. Serve at once.

Variations

• •

  Top with smoked salmon and cream cheese instead of caviar for a more accessible version.

• •

  Add a teaspoon of honey for slightly sweet breakfast blini.

Storage

Store cooked blini covered in the fridge up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry pan.