Salmon and Sour Cream Blinis
Blinis are leavened pancakes of Russian origin, similar to crepes or savory pancakes, with the difference that the presence of yeast makes them very soft. Ideal to serve as an original and tasty appetizer or paired with a cocktail. They can be prepared in all seasons, but are perfect in summer (or even during the Christmas period). Easy recipe.
If you wish, instead of using chives, you can season the sour cream with dill and pink pepper.
If you want to impress your guests, you can spread the blinis with lemon-flavored butter and garnish them with quality caviar.
You can replace the sour cream (crème fraîche) with spreadable cheese or make it at home, the day before, following my recipe at the end of the article: “Notes and Tips”.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: International
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 651.71 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 62.44 (g) of which sugars 14.17 (g)
- Proteins 30.24 (g)
- Fat 32.97 (g) of which saturated 16.83 (g)of which unsaturated 12.92 (g)
- Fibers 2.55 (g)
- Sodium 573.69 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Salmon and Sour Cream Blinis
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or buckwheat flour)
- 0.35 oz fresh yeast
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 cups Greek yogurt 2% fat
- 5 tbsps butter
- 3/4 cup sour cream (or spreadable cheese)
- 7 oz salmon (filleted fresh or smoked in a package)
- 1 tsp fine salt
- to taste chives (optional)
- to taste pink peppercorns (optional)
- to taste dill (optional)
Tools
- Bowls
- Plastic wrap
- Hand whisk
- Mixer electric Bosch 350 W
- Pot for bain-marie
- Crepe pan
Steps for Salmon and Sour Cream Blinis
Melt the butter in a bain-marie.
Take a bowl and dissolve the 0.35 oz of fresh yeast with 20 g of flour (taken from the 250 g) and 40 g of lukewarm milk (taken from the 200 ml). Cover the bowl well with plastic wrap and let the mixture rise for about 40 minutes in a draft-free place.
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After 40 minutes of rising, take a bowl and add the 2 egg yolks, the remaining flour and milk, the cold butter, yogurt, the leavened mixture, and salt, and mix well with a hand whisk. Cover and let the dough rise covered for another 15 minutes.
In the meantime, whip the two egg whites until stiff peaks form.
After 15 minutes, fold in the whipped egg whites into the leavened dough
Then, take a non-stick pan, grease it with a little butter and drop spoonfuls of the batter to form round pancakes about 3 inches in diameter. Cook the blinis on both sides for a few minutes until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes).
Wash the chives and chop them finely, add them to the sour cream, stirring carefully; separately prepare the salmon by cutting it into wide strips (or as you prefer).
Now garnish the blinis with sour cream, chives, salmon pieces, and a pinch of salt. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Notes and Tips
Homemade Sour Cream Recipe: In a bowl, whisk together 250 g of fresh liquid cream with 70 g of plain whole yogurt (I use Total Fage 5%) (optionally, you can add a few drops of lemon) and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 24 hours, covered with a cloth. The sour cream can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Shopping Tips!!!
I find this double pot for bain-marie very useful and practical, I use it very often in the kitchen.
This Bosch electric mixer with 4 speeds plus turbo and 350 W of power is very powerful.
Find all the recommended appliances on Amazon at a special price.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Difference between Crepes, Blinis, and Pancakes?
They are very similar to each other, the differences lie in their origins (French, Russian, and American), proportions, and the possible presence of yeast.
CREPES: Thin and elastic, the pride of French cuisine, they lend themselves to the most varied sweet or savory fillings. In Brittany, those made with buckwheat are typical, known as galettes.
BLINIS: Similar to pancakes but leavened, smaller, and also made with buckwheat flour. They are usually served as an appetizer or snack, with caviar or smoked fish and sour cream.
PANCAKES: In the USA, they are prepared for breakfast or brunch. Thicker and spongier than crepes, they are spread with butter and maple syrup.How to store Blinis?
Blinis are best consumed freshly made, but if you wish, you can prepare them in advance and garnish them when ready to serve. Blinis can be stored (not garnished) in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen after cooking (without garnishing) by placing parchment paper between each blini.
