Blinchiki Recipes

BLINI (RUSSIAN PANCAKES)

Steps:

• Beat together the milk and the eggs. Stir in the salt and the sugar and mix well. Add the baking soda and citric acid.
• Blend in the flour. Add the vegetable oil and pour in the boiling water, stirring constantly. The batter should be very thin, almost watery. Set the bowl aside and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Melt a tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Pick the pan up off the heat. Pour in a ladleful of batter while you rotate your wrist, tilting the pan so the batter makes a circle and coats the bottom. The blini should be very thin.
• Return the pan to the heat. Cook the blini for 90 seconds. Carefully lift up an edge of the blini to see if it's fully cooked: the edges will be golden and it should have brown spots on the surface. Flip the blini over and cook the other side for 1 minute.
• Transfer the blini to a plate lined with a clean kitchen towel. Continue cooking the blini, adding an additional tablespoon of butter to the pan after each 4 blini. Stack them on top of each other and cover with the kitchen towel to keep warm.
• Spread your favorite filling in the center of the blini, and fold three times to make a triangle shape. You can also fold up all 4 sides, like a small burrito.

LOBSTER BLINCHIKI

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot. Dice shallot and lobster meat and add to butter. Save lobster shells. Add 4 ounces white wine and reduce to medium heat (reduce by 1/2). Add 2 ounces heavy cream and tarragon and reduce on medium heat by 1/2. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature. Save remainder of heavy cream for the lobster sauce.
• Saute lobster shells in a large pot with 6 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. After the shells turn orange, remove them from pot and save them. Add all vegetables including onion and garlic and saute in olive oil until they are light brown. Put the lobster shells back into the pot with the mixture. Deglaze with 2 tablespoons olive oil and lobster shells, and add brandy and chopped tomatoes. Add water or fish stock to cover mixture and lobster shells. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain out lobster shells and vegetables, keeping just the liquid in the pot. Reduce liquid by half. Add the remaining 2 ounces heavy cream and simmer. Place mixture in blender with butter and juice of 2 lemons. Blend until butter is fully incorporated. Mixture should be thick and creamy. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Lay blini flat. Place 1 teaspoon of lobster stuffing on the half of blini closest to you. Roll blini tightly and gently away from you. Place 3 completed blini on plate with lobster rolled inside. Garnish with Sauteed mushrooms. Add chives and dill to taste. Serve with the Lobster sauce.