Chive Blini Recipes

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, 1/4 cup milk, and sugar in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved, then let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over.) Add 1 1/4 cups milk and rice flour, whisking until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sponge rise in a warm place until bubbly, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, sour cream, 2 tablespoons butter, and remaining cup milk in a bowl.
• Whisk yolk mixture into bubbly sponge, then add all-purpose flour and sea salt, whisking until smooth. Stir in chives.
• Beat egg whites in a bowl with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold into batter. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Put a buttered large baking sheet in oven and preheat oven to 200°F.
• Brush some of remaining butter onto bottom of a 10-inch nonstick skillet and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 cup batter and cook until underside is lightly browned and surface is covered with holes, about 2 minutes. Turn over with a wide spatula and cook until golden on bottom and puffed, about 1 minute more. Brush top with some melted butter, then transfer to buttered baking sheet. Cover loosely with foil and keep warm in middle of oven. Make 5 more blini in same manner (you'll have 2 extra), stacking them on baking sheet in 2 piles with sheets of foil between blini.

EASY BLINI (RUSSIAN PANCAKE)

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
• Whisk 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon melted butter together in a separate bowl. Mix into the flour mixture until batter is fully combined.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Drop batter, 1 tablespoon at a time, onto the heated skillet. Cook until bubbles form, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until brown, about 1 minute more. Lay on plate lined with a paper towel to help soak up excess butter. Repeat with the remaining batter.

CORN BLINI WITH SMOKED SALMON AND CHIVE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine sour cream and chives in a small bowl. Cover and chill.
• Cut kernels from ear of corn. Scrape remaining pulp from cob using the dull side of a knife blade. Discard cob. Set corn aside.
• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and cornmeal in a medium bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture. Combine milk and egg yolk in a small bowl, stir well with whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir with a whisk until just moist. Stir in corn, salt, and pepper.
• Place egg white in a bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Gently fold egg white mixture into corn mixture.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon 1 tbls. batter per blini onto pan, spreading to about 2" diameter. Cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges begin to set. Carefully turn blinis over, cook for 1 more mintue. Transfer blinis to a serving platter, and arrange in a single layer; keep warm. Repeat process with the remaining batter. Top each blini with with 1 piece salmon and 1 teaspoons sour cream mixture. Garnish with chopped chives, if using.
• Makes 8 servings.

SMOKED SALMON & EASY BLINIS

Steps:

• For the blini mix, tip the flour into a bowl, then season. Make a well in the middle, then add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth, gradually add the rest of the milk, then the butter and chives. Whisk the egg whites until starting to stiffen, then fold into the batter. To cook, lightly grease a frying pan, then sizzle spoonfuls for 2-3 mins on each side until golden, flipping them over when bubbling. Set aside and keep warm.
• Make a dressing in a large bowl with the mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Add the leaves, then toss. Serve the salad, salmon and blinis with some beetroot on the side.