Blini Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2-3 minutes per batch of 7
Makes: 21 blinis
- 50g/1.7ozs buckwheat flour
- 25g/1oz plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon caster or superfine sugar
- Pinch bicarb
- 200ml/7flozs buttermilk
- 20g/0.7ozs melted butter
- 1 egg, separated
- Pinch salt
- Butter for frying
- Sour cream, chives, crab or caviar and lemon jam to serve
Step 1 - In a bowl whisk the two flours with the baking powder, sugar and bicarb. In a jug whisk the buttermilk with the butter and egg yolk. Make a well in the flour and add in the wet mixture in 2 lots. Pass through a sieve into another bowl to remove any lumps.
Step 2 - In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk the egg white with the salt until you get foamy, stiff peaks. Spoon the egg whites into the batter in 3 lots making sure to fold and not deflate the mixture. Pour into a jug.
Step 3 - Heat your frypan on medium heat. Reduce heat to low medium and brush some butter over the pan. The pan will become most non stick when it is very hot so don't worry if your first pancakes don't work out perfectly. Using the pourer spout pour some batter into the pan - you want roughly 6cm/2.3inch rounds. As soon as bubbles appear (in a minute or two) start lifting up the edges to see if they are toasty golden and ready to flip. Do so gently and cook on the other side. Place on a serving platter with accompaniments. Repeat making sure to butter the pan before every batch.
Blini can be frozen for up to 3 months. Separate with parchment and place in an airtight box. They can also be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.