Blinis 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.

SMOKED SALMON BLINIS

Steps:

• 1. For the blinis, place the flour and a pinch of sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, crack in the egg and add 1 tablespoon of oil, then beat into the flour. Gradually whisk in the milk until you've got a lovely, smooth batter.
• 2. Put a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and add 1 small knob of butter. 3. Once hot and the butter's melted, add tablespoons of batter to the pan to make your blinis. Cook for 1 minute on each side, flipping over when they turn golden on the bottom and get little bubbles on top. 4. The first batch always helps you figure out your temperature control, so adjust it up or down if needed. 5. Transfer the cooked blinis to a plate, and continue with the remaining batter until it's all used up. Top with your favourite combos, season to perfection and enjoy. TEAM WAVES OF QUALITY SMOKED SALMON WITH . . . * Cucumber speed-peeled into ribbons, placed proudly on top of a little cream cheese with a fine grating of lemon zest. Š* Peeled and finely shaved raw baby beets, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of fresh tarragon. Š* Vac-packed beets blitzed with cream cheese until smooth, topped with a fine grating of fresh horseradish root. Š* Cream cheese loosened with a little lemon juice, and a sprinkling of salmon caviar to add an extra pop of flavour. Š* A dollop of soured cream and a sprinkling of chopped fresh chives and finely sliced tender asparagus. Š* Puréed avocado and a little jarred jalapeño, a dollop of soured cream and a few freshly picked coriander leaves.

BLINI WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Combine both flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter, then whisk into the flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter in a medium saute pan and drop the batter into the hot skillet, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form on the top side of the blini, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 more minute, or until brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. (I clean the hot pan with a dry paper towel between batches.) Set aside.
• To serve, top the blini with a piece of smoked salmon. Add a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprig of dill.

BLINIS

Steps:

• Whisk milk, 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour, eggs, and sugar together in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup melted butter; whisk well. Let batter sit, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add beef; cook until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain. Chop the boiled beef finely until even in texture.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, while stirring, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add the chopped beef, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir filling until flavors combine, about 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter into the skillet and quickly rotate the skillet to spread batter out in a thin layer. Cook until edges are brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Run a spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen blini; flip and cook until the other side has turned light brown, about 1 minute more. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Spread 2 tablespoons beef filling on 1 side of each blini. Fold edges over filling and roll blini up. Repeat with remaining filling and blini.

SMOKED SALMON & EASY BLINIS

Steps:

• For the blini mix, tip the flour into a bowl, then season. Make a well in the middle, then add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth, gradually add the rest of the milk, then the butter and chives. Whisk the egg whites until starting to stiffen, then fold into the batter. To cook, lightly grease a frying pan, then sizzle spoonfuls for 2-3 mins on each side until golden, flipping them over when bubbling. Set aside and keep warm.
• Make a dressing in a large bowl with the mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Add the leaves, then toss. Serve the salad, salmon and blinis with some beetroot on the side.

RUSSIAN BUCKWHEAT BLINI PANCAKES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour with the all-purpose flour, salt, and instant yeast .
• Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, mixing until the batter is smooth.
• Cover the bowl and let the batter rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Stir into the batter the cooled, melted butter and the egg yolk.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff but not dry.
• Fold the whisked egg white into the batter.
• Cover the bowl and let the batter stand 20 minutes.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Drop quarter-sized dollops of dough into a pan, being careful not to overcrowd it. Cook for about 1 minute or until bubbles form.
• Turn and cook for about 30 additional seconds.
• Remove the finished blini onto a plate and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm. Repeat the frying process with the remaining batter.

BLINIS

Steps:

• Cream the yeast with a little milk, then add the remaining milk, the egg yolks and sour cream.
• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the yeast mixture. Stir to make a thick batter. Leave for at least 1 hour in a warm place. The batter should now look bubbly. Stir well. Just before cooking, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter.
• Heat a little oil in the pan and pour off any excess. Then pour in a tablespoon of batter. Turn the pancake over when it shows bubbles on the top side. Cook lots. One bliny is never enough.

EASY BLINI (RUSSIAN PANCAKE)

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
• Whisk 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon melted butter together in a separate bowl. Mix into the flour mixture until batter is fully combined.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Drop batter, 1 tablespoon at a time, onto the heated skillet. Cook until bubbles form, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until brown, about 1 minute more. Lay on plate lined with a paper towel to help soak up excess butter. Repeat with the remaining batter.