Name: Blini with Pickled Beet Caviar
Yield: 24 servings
Ingredients: ⅓ cup cider vinegar (75 ml); 3 Tbsp water (45 ml); 2 Tbsp sugar (25 ml); ¼ tsp mustard seeds (1 ml); ¼ onion, sliced; 1 small bay leaf; ¼ tsp whole black peppercorns (1 ml); 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (15 ml); 1 large yellow or red beet; Pinch salt; 1 pickled red or yellow beet or 1 roasted beet, finely diced; 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (15 ml); 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (15 ml); ½ Tbsp vegetable oil (7 ml); Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; ⅔ cup warm milk (150 ml); ½ tsp honey (2 ml); 1 package active dry yeast (¼-ounce/8 grams); 2 Tbsp melted butter, cooled (30 ml); ½ cup + 2 tbsp. all purpose flour (125 ml + 30 ml); ¼ cup buckwheat flour (60 ml); Pinch of salt; 1 tsp baking powder (5 ml); 2 eggs; Vegetable oil, for frying; Crème fraiche or sour cream, for serving; Sprigs of dill, for garnish (optional)

Yields

24 servings

You can make these sweet or savoury by adding whatever toppings you like, the options are endless. Try sour cream, crème fraiche, smoked salmon, chutneys, herring, chopped hard cooked eggs, Sevruga caviar, syrup, honey, jams or jellies or fresh fruit.

ingredients

Pickled Beets

⅓

cup cider vinegar (75 ml)

Tbsp water (45 ml)

Tbsp sugar (25 ml)

tsp mustard seeds (1 ml)

onion, sliced

small bay leaf

tsp whole black peppercorns (1 ml)

Tbsp chopped fresh dill (15 ml)

large yellow or red beet

Pinch salt

Pickled Beet Caviar

pickled red or yellow beet or 1 roasted beet, finely diced

Tbsp chopped fresh dill (15 ml)

Tbsp chopped fresh chives (15 ml)

Tbsp vegetable oil (7 ml)

Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Blini

⅔

cup warm milk (150 ml)

tsp honey (2 ml)

package active dry yeast (¼-ounce/8 grams)

Tbsp melted butter, cooled (30 ml)

cup + 2 tbsp. all purpose flour (125 ml + 30 ml)

cup buckwheat flour (60 ml)

Pinch of salt

tsp baking powder (5 ml)

eggs

Vegetable oil, for frying

Crème fraiche or sour cream, for serving

Sprigs of dill, for garnish (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

directions

Step 1

Add the cider vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, dill and salt 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 2

Cool marinade and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl.

Step 3

Cook beets in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. Drain and cool. Slip off skin and cut into thin strips, known as a julienne cut.

Step 4

Gently stir together beets and marinade. Marinate beets, covered and chilled, for at least 3 hours or overnight. Store in the refrigerator for a few days. For long-term storage, follow proper canning techniques. Use pickled beets as a garnish, side dish or add to a buffet table. Use the pickled beets to make the red beet caviar.

Step 5

In a small bowl mix the pickled beets, dill, chives and vegetable oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Spoon over or serve with the blini.

Step 6

Combine milk, honey and yeast in a medium bowl. Stir until blended. Let mixture stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in cooled butter.

Step 7

In another bowl combine all purpose flour, buckwheat flour, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the centre and stir in milk mixture until blended. Whisk eggs and stir in just until incorporated. Do not stir the batter vigorously. Cover and let rise at room temperature for until doubled in volume, about 1½ hours.

Step 8

Heat blini, crepe pan or skillet over medium high heat. Lightly coat pan with vegetable oil using a paper towel. Pour about tbsp. of the batter into the pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip over and brown other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes 24 blini.

Step 9

To assemble, place the bilini on a serving platter and top with a small dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream. Add a spoonful of one of the caviar mixtures on top of the crème fraiche or sour cream. Top with sprig of dill for garnish if you like. Serve.

Rate Recipe

My rating for Blini with Pickled Beet Caviar

Blini with Pickled Beet Caviar