Buckwheat Bilinis My Cotswold Kitchen

Buckwheat Bilinis

Prep time: 10 minutes plus proving
 Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves 6 as a starter, or can be made into canapé size (makes 30)

Ingredients:

  • 40g buckwheat flour 
  • 125g strong white bread flour 
  • 3/4 level teaspoon salt
  • 5g easy-bake dried yeast
  • 150 ml crème fraiche or sour cream
  • 175 ml whole milk
  • 2 medium eggs, separated
  • 25g butter 
  • Sunflower oil for frying 

For the smoked salmon, creme fraiche and dill topping:

  • 300g smoked salmon slices
  • 150ml soured cream
  • a few dill sprigs 
  • lumpfish roe
  • Lemon wedges 

For the vegetarian “salmon” topping:

  • 2 large carrots
  • 20ml flaky sea salt
  • 2 lapsang soushong teabags
  • 100g vegan cream cheese
  • Dried seaweed to serve
  • Vegan Caviar
  • Freshly ground black pepper

 

Method:

  1. Mix the buckwheat flour, plain flour and salt and yeast together in a large bowl.
  2. Warm the crème fraiche and milk together (in saucepan or microwave) to luke- warm. (If you overheat it, cool it down before using, Too much heat with kill the yeast. )
  3. Next whisk the egg yolks into the milk, then pour this into the flour mixture. Whisk everything together to a thick batter, then cover the bowl with a clean tea cloth and leave somewhere warm like the boiler cupboard or a warming drawer) for about 1 hour.
  4. When the batter is spongy and bubbly, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and gently fold them into the batter. Cover with the cloth again and leave as before for another hour. 
  5. When ready to make the blinis, being my adding a splash of sunflower oil and melting the butter in a heavy based frying pan. 
  6. Pour the blini batter into a jug which is easy to pour from.  
  7. Brush the bottom of a heavy-based frying pan with melted butter.
  8. Keep the pan on a medium heat and carefully pour in about a tablespoon of blini batter. (Don’t use an actual tablespoon – too messy – just guess!) The batter sets quickly so give it 30 to 40 seconds then  turn the blini over and give it another 30 seconds to brown the second side. Lift it onto a cooling- rack and repeat, brushing the pan with butter each time. This mixture should give you 18-20 blinis. If making cocktail blinis pour in only a teaspoon of batter and cook each side for only 15 seconds. You should be able to fry four or five at once. 
  9. If making the blinis to serve straight away, keep them warm in a folded tea towel, and serve them topped with smoked salmon, soured cream, lumpish roe and sprigs of dill. 
  10.  If making the blinis in advance, cool them on a wire rack, then wrap half a dozen of them flat in foil parcels to reheat later in a cool oven (150°C) for 8 – 10 minutes

Method for the vegetarian topping:

  1. Cut the carrots into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and set aside. Pour 500ml water into a large saucepan with the salt and bring to the boil. Add the carrot ribbons and teabags and remove from the heat. Leave to steep for 20 mins until the mixture is cold and the ribbons have softened. Pour into a smaller container and chill until needed. Once cold and ready to serve, strain the carrot ribbons, discard the brine and pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.
  2. Spread the blinis with the cream cheese. Top each one with a few carrot ribbons and a pinch of the dried seaweed, and the vegan caviar then season with black pepper and serve.