Savoury Toppings For Blinis Recipes

BLINI - TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN PANCAKES

Steps:

• Beat together the eggs, milk and salt. Add the flour and beat again with a mixer. The batter should be thin.
• Butter a frying pan over medium-high heat (the size of the pancakes depends on the size of your pan. If you want them smaller, take a smaller pan and so on). Pick the pan up off the heat. Pour in a ladle of batter tilting and rotating the pan to spread it evenly. Return to the heat.
• Cook until the edges are crisp looking and the center of the pancake looks dry. Carefully flip the pancake over and cook for about 1 minute on the other side.
• Transfer to a plate. Continue cooking blini, stacking them on top of each other.
• For the savory version, top with sour cream and caviar, or with the smoked salmon and dill. You can either fold a pancake in half, then in half again (to form a triangle) and put a filling on top, or roll them into a stuffed tube. For the sweet version use any jam you like, or put some honey on top. Enjoy!

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.

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.

LOW FODMAP BLINIS WITH SAVOURY AND SWEET TOPPINGS

Steps:

• Put the buckwheat flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together in a bowl. Stir together.
• Add the milk and then the eggs, while stirring continuously. Whisk with a whisk until you have a smooth mixture.
• Heat some oil or butter in a pan. Bake small pancakes from the batter. They need about 2 minutes per side.
• Cut the paprika into pieces. Fry the paprika and the mushrooms shortly in a pan and season with pepper and salt.
• Top 2/3 of the blini's with a layer of cream cheese and 1/3 with cottage cheese. Top the cream cheese blini's for one half with paprika and the other half with mushrooms. Spread some jam on top of the cottage cheese blinis.
• The blinis are best when they are still warm, so serve them immediately.

BLINI RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix 2 cups of warm (under 90F) milk with 1 Tbsp of sugar, and 1/2 tsp of yeast and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.
• Then, add 1 egg and 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp of salt. Place the whisk in the middle and slowly start to whisk the mixture into a smooth batter. If you try to keep your whisk only in the middle of the mixture and allow the flour naturally to come towards the middle to be whisked, you will have a smooth batter with no lumps. Lastly, add 2 tbsp of oil and whisk until smooth once more. If you still ended up with flour lumps in the batter, pour the batter through a sieve to remove them.
• Cover the mixture with a tea towel and set it into the oven with the light on (do not turn on the heat) or any other warm, draft-free place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. During this time the mixture should form a foamy top. Stir the batter and preheat your skillet for cooking crepes.
• Preheat an 8-inch skillet over medium heat until it's thoroughly heated and you can feel the hotness of the pan if you hover the palm of your hand about 2 inches above the skillet.Pierce 1 tbsp of cold butter with a fork, then quickly grease the bottom of the pan with the butter.Next, using a 1/4 cup measuring spoon pour the batter in the middle of the pan and swirl it to cover the bottom completely. Cook for several minutes until the top is no longer wet. Then, using a spatula carefully flip the crepe and cook on the other side for a couple more minutes. Transfer to a plate. Continue cooking the crepes in this manner until all batter is used up. Do stir the batter throughout cooking so the flour doesn't settle in the middle.

COCKTAIL BLINIS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a saucepan until just steaming, then remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and butter, swirling until the butter melts. Tip the flours and yeast into a bowl and season with 1/4 tsp salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk mixture and the egg yolks. Whisk until you have a smooth batter, then cover with cling film and set aside for 1 hr (if you want to make the blinis ahead and freeze them, jump to step 4).
• Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the quail's eggs and cook for 2 1/2 mins. Drain the eggs and run under cold water, then leave to cool completely. Tip the beetroot and cream cheese into a food processor and season with a pinch of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Whizz to a purée, then scrape into a bowl and chill until ready to serve.
• For the salmon topping, flake the salmon into a bowl, add the cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, and horseradish, if using. Mash everything together with a fork, then chill until ready to serve. Peel the cucumber into long strips using a vegetable peeler, discarding the seedy middle part, and pop into a bowl of cold water.
• Check the blini batter - it should be bubbly on the surface. Tip the egg whites into a bowl and whisk until they hold soft peaks. Add to the blini batter and gently fold together, trying to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
• Get a wire rack or two ready to cool the blinis (this will prevent them from going soggy when cooling). Heat a knob of butter and a drizzle of oil in a large pan (if you have two pans, this will speed things up). When the butter is foaming, spoon tablespoons of the batter into the pan, leaving space between each one as they will spread a little. Cook over a medium heat until bubbles pop on the surface and the undersides are golden brown. Flip over and cook for 1-2 mins more, then transfer to the rack to cool. Wipe out the pan and continue cooking the remaining blinis in the same way. Will keep in an airtight container for 1 day, or freeze the cooked blinis on a baking tray covered with cling film, then foil, for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature before topping.
• To assemble, top half the blinis with the beetroot purée, peel and halve the eggs and place them on top, then scatter with cress and season with a little black pepper. Top the remaining blinis with the salmon pâté. Dry the cucumber slices well and ruffle each piece back on itself, then squash firmly between your fingers so it lays flat. Place them on top of the salmon, add a tiny blob of caviar and eat as soon as possible, preferably with glasses of fizz!