Blini - seeking reliable recipe and/or tips

[ronnie_suburban]

I'm thinking about making some sort of a caviar and blini course for a NYE, pot-luck, "appetizers only" party I'm attending.

If you have a reliable blini recipe or any useful tips for making them, I'd greatly appreciate either (or both).

Thanks,

=R=

[Gifted Gourmet]

One of my favorites is this one, Ronnie:

from Cooks Recipes.com and it makes about 30 .. so incredibly good with smoked salmon and sour cream with fresh chives ... or even a caviar for decoration!

a slightly different recipe for blinis

[ronnie_suburban]

Thanks, Mel . . . much appreciated!

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[Gifted Gourmet]

I have the distinct feeling that 30 blini may not be enough! They go quickly and one can always have some in the freezer just in case ... my grandmother always had a freezerful of stuff called "just in case" ...

[Michael Ruhlman]

the recipe in the french laundry cookbook is very easy and delicious, perfect for caviar.

[ronnie_suburban]

the recipe in the french laundry cookbook is very easy and delicious, perfect for caviar.

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Thank you, Michael. I woudn't have remembered to look there.

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[ronnie_suburban]

I have  the distinct feeling that 30 blini may not be enough! They go quickly and one can always have some in the freezer just in case ... my grandmother always had a freezerful of stuff called "just in case" ... 

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It'll be close. There will be 16 people and I'm only supposed to make 2 per person.

=R=

[Gifted Gourmet]

There will be 16 people and I'm only supposed to make 2 per person.

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Two per person, huh? You must be kidding! And by now you might want to mortgage your house to pick up more sour cream and caviar!

[ronnie_suburban]

There will be 16 people and I'm only supposed to make 2 per person.

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Two per person, huh? You must be kidding! And by now you might want to mortgage your house to pick up more sour cream and caviar!

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LOL! I'm actually quite suspicious in the other direction but since each invitee has been instructed to bring no more than 2 pieces of each item, that's what I'm going to do. And I'll keep them kind of small, too. After all, I'd hate to upstage all the other guests

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[ronnie_suburban]

I ended up using a recipe from the Martha Stewart Hors D'oeuvres Handbook and the blini turned out very nicely. I liked the FL recipe too but chose the more traditional buckwheat variety blini over the yukon gold potato version in the FL cookbook. The recipe was very similar to the one posted linked upthread by Gifted Gourmet. I used some excellent buckwheat flour from Bob's Red Mill.

All in all, 2.5 passed hours from when I started the yeast until I cooked the first batch. That time includes the initial activation of the yeast and 2 moderate "rises." I made the blini using about 1 T of batter per unit. I made them the night before, let them cool on a rack and stored them in sealed plastic tub overnight. The next evening, at my destination, I reheated them for about 7 minutes at 350 F, before assembling them. At that point they were nicely tender in the middle and their edges were lightly crisp.

I topped them with sour cream, gravlax, creme fraiche, caviar, chive, dill and mini potato crisps.

Here's how they looked:

They disappeared pretty quickly and I learned quite a lot, so I'd say the project was a success.

=R=

[Gifted Gourmet]

I'd say that it was indeed quite a success, Ronnie! I like the taste of the buckwheat with the cream and caviar and the unctuous flesh of the salmon ... didn't everyone simply rave at your culinary talent??

[loiosh]

Just for the information of anyone else who wants to make blini, I ended up futzing with the ingredient amounts in the FL yukon gold potato blini to get the consistency specified.

[ronnie_suburban]

... didn't everyone simply rave at your culinary talent??

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Well, yeah, but unlike this crowd, they were easily-impressed

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