Old World Russian Blini
These remind me of New Year’s Day lunches at my grandparent’s home growing up. A pot of borsch on the stove and pickled “everything” in abundance. My favourite way to eat Blini was always with sour cream and jam. These days I’ve switched to crème fraîche and jams that are more bladder friendly (provided they have a low or nonexistent lemon juice content) such as blueberry or blackberry. Unlike traditional blini these do not include buckwheat flour, but by all means you could swap half the all purpose flour with buck wheat flour.
You will have the best results if you cook these in a cast iron or heavy bottomed frying pan, anything else and the blini don’t cook properly. This recipe is a bit time consuming, so it may not be everyday fare, but that makes it extra special. Perfect for cold, long winter’s nights or weekend parties.
When it comes to topping the blini let your imagination run wild, to give you a hand I’ve suggested some topping ideas below the recipe ingredients.
Old World Russian Blini
For the sponge
½ cup all purpose flour (organic and or unbleached if possible)
1 cup (250 ml) of warm water (about 115°)
3 tsp all purpose white sugar
2 ¼ tsp dry active yeast
For the Blini
2 cups of gently warmed milk
2 ½ cups of all purpose flour (organic and or unbleached if possible)
5-6 tbsp all purpose white sugar (or more as desired)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (reserve a tbsp or two to brush on the blini)
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
2 extra large eggs separated, yolks beaten (for a special treat try using ducks eggs, they have an affinity for baking and doughy creations)
1 potato cut in half
oil to fry the blini (groundnut oil works well)
Suggestions for blini toppings
Melted butter (try making a herb or seasoned butter like chive or fennel or a change of pace)
Jams (IC frienldy)
Crème fraîche
Caviar
Thinly grilled or pan seared salmon or other fish (avoid smoked fish though as they can bother IC bladders)
Homemade blueberry puree or syrup
A mixture of diced veggies (like cucumber, carrots, celery, even beetroot) soaked in a little olive oil and chilled before serving
To make the sponge combine the yeast, sugar, and water in a large bowl; stir well. Allow to stand until the mixture is foamy, this should take about 10-12 minutes. Next incorporate the flour into the mixture, whisking well. Cover the sponge (with a dry tea towel) and store in a warm location for about an hour. You’re aiming to have the mixture double in size.
When the sponge is ready add in the butter, 2 ½ cups of flour, milk, egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Stir until the mixture is smooth, and again set it to rise, covered with plastic wrap or a tea towel until it has doubled in size and is bubbly (about 1 ½ hours, give or take a few minutes).
After the initial hour and a half, stir the batter, and allow it to rise again for 45 minutes. Next beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, and fold them into the blini batter. Put some oil in a small bowl and it keep it on hand (to hand) by the stovetop.
Place half of the potato onto a fork and dip it into the oil; using the potato rub down the sides of a 7-9 inch heavy bottomed pan with a generous amount of oil. Heat the pan for about 1-2 minutes over medium heat; you don’t want the oil to smoke though.
With a pot holder or oven mitt (glove) lift the pan by it’s handle and tilt the pan towards you slightly. Ladle (or use a measuring cup) enough of the batter to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Allow the batter to flow freely over the surface of the pan, rotating the pan so that the batter touches the whole surface. (Only one blini per pan can be made at a time. If you have multiple, similar pans you could keep more than one pan going at the same time.)
Cook until the blini is bubbly (like a pancake) on the topside and golden on the underside. Flip the blini with a spatula or flipper and cook for 20-30 more seconds, brushing the side that is already cooked with a drop of butter while the blini is still in the pan. (You may need to add a little more oil when you flip the blini, if the pan seems too dry.)
After each blini oil-down the pan using the potato half on a fork. As you cook you may find the pan becomes a little too hot, in which case simply lower your burner (hob) temperature.
Keep the blini stacked together and covered with a pot lid or aluminium foil until you are ready to serve.
Present the blini with any chosen toppings and enjoy!
The yield will depend a lot on how big you make the blini, but you can easly get 4 people started with this quantity of batter.