Buckwheat Blini With Caviar
The holidays present a number of opportunities to splurge, and New Year’s Eve is the ultimate night for it. Though it may seem a cliché, the classic combination of blini and caviar is the perfect example — indulgent, elegant and delectable to the extreme. If you are hosting a small crowd for drinks (preferably Champagne or vodka with these), it’s all you need to serve, though it also can be a sit-down first course. Preparation is simple: the blini are topped with a dab of crème fraîche, a spoonful of caviar and a drizzle of butter.
Ingredients
- 1 package dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 cups slightly warm milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 4 eggs
- 6 ounces crème fraîche
- 1/4 pound melted butter
- At least 125 grams caviar or trout roe
- 2 tablespoons finely cut chives
Instructions
- 1
In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup milk. Stir in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Combine remaining all-purpose flour, the buckwheat flour and salt. Add 2 cups milk to the yeast mixture and gradually whisk in flour-salt mixture until you have a smooth, thick batter. Whisk in melted butter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature and let batter slowly double in size, about 2 to 3 hours. (The batter may remain at room temperature even longer if necessary.) You may also mix batter and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.
- 3
When you are ready to cook blini, stir down batter, which will have become quite frothy. Beat egg yolks and whisk into batter. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
- 4
Spoon batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle, using a large soup spoon to make blini that are 3 inches in diameter. Cook for about 2 minutes, until bottom is well browned. Flip and cook 1 minute more. (Wait until surface is covered in bubbles before flipping.) Keep warm in a low oven. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, a drizzle of butter, a generous spoonful of caviar and a sprinkling of chives.