Smoked Salmon Blini
Delicate buckwheat pancakes topped with crème fraîche and silky smoked salmon
- 0.5 cupall-purpose flour
- 0.5 cupbuckwheat flour
- 1 tspbaking powder
- 0.5 tspkosher salt
- 1egg
- 0.75 cupmilk
- 2 tbspbutter(melted, plus more for pan)
- 8 ozsmoked salmon(sliced)
- 0.5 cupcrème fraîche
- 2 tbspfresh dill(fronds)
- 2 tbspcapers(drained)
- freshly ground black pepper
Blini can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container. Bring to room temperature before topping.
- 1Whisk both flours, baking powder, and salt in bowl
- 2In separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and melted butter
- 3Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until combined - lumps are okay
- 4Let batter rest 10 minutes
- 5Heat buttered griddle or skillet over medium heat
- 6Drop batter by tablespoons to form small pancakes about 2 inches diameter
- 7Cook until bubbles form and edges set, flip and cook until golden
- 8Let blini cool slightly
- 9Top each with small dollop of crème fraîche
- 10Add folded piece of smoked salmon
- 11Garnish with dill frond and a few capers
- 12Finish with freshly ground pepper
Buckwheat flour gives blini their distinctive earthy flavor - don't substitute entirely with regular flour. Small, thin blini work best as canapés. The batter should be pourable but not runny. Crème fraîche is tangier than sour cream; Greek yogurt works in a pinch. Assemble just before serving.
Blini are traditional Russian yeasted buckwheat pancakes served during celebrations, particularly Maslenitsa (Butter Week). The pairing with smoked salmon and sour cream reflects the luxurious zakuski (appetizer) tradition. This simplified version uses baking powder instead of yeast but delivers similar nutty, tender results.